Consultation helps both voluntary and court ordered families with children create shared parenting plans, settle coparenting disputes, and maintain an ongoing coparenting relationship. Consultation is effective with both cooperative and high conflict families. Participants have the opportunity to work together in a joint session for specific education and to create a written co-parenting plan.
Consultation is highly effective with:
1. The Mediation Process
2. High Conflict Families
3. Post Litigation Coparenting
Consultation is an alternate form of dispute resolution that involves sessions with appropriate family members to encourage parenting skills, assist in creating co-parenting plans, assist with conflict disengagement, and educate about issues related to child development. While the style is similar to that of mediation, consultation advocates co-parenting plans, educates the parents on relevant developmental issues, and to focuses on the rights of the children. The Parenting Center offers consultation with families specific to the family's, Court's, or attorney's request.
The consultation may be offered, or ordered, as a limited set of sessions, similar to mediation. The consultation is also offered to families on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
Families that have attended co-parenting education have a greater success rate, better follow-through, feel more empowered, and utilize their consultation time more effectively. Co-parent education is part of the consultation process, and completion of the co-parenting series is required prior to consultation. An intake and a copy of the court order (or written agreement of the parties to use the service) is required prior to scheduiing families for sessions.
Three forms of consultation are available:
1. Co-parenting Consultation
The coparenting consultation involves both sides working together to create a "family plan" that exists beyond the divorce. Both parties work together to cover topics from bedtime to dating. Each participant leaves with a copy of this plan and the plan may be filed with the Court upon request.
2. Step-families Consultation
The Step-families Consultation explores issues related to extended family, co-parenting, paramours, stepparents, merging families, pre-established rules, existing rules, and children's adjustments. Other topics include the biological parents roles, siblings and exchanges.
3. Out of Town Parent Consultation
The Out of Town Consultation addresses the special needs of children whose parents do not see them on a regular basis. The session is designed for both parents to work together on activities and ideas that will help the child feel involved in the life of both parents.
