The hope is that as divorcing parents work through child custody proceedings in Hernando County, they may put aside the personal differences and disagreements that might have contributed to their separation in order to come up with a parenting plan that is in their kids’ best interests. Often, however, that is not possible, and in such cases, the court may be required to appoint a parenting coordinator. According to the Florida Bar Association, a parenting coordinator is an impartial third party tasked with helping separated parents work towards improving in the areas of communication, negotiation and problem-solving in order to best meet their children’s needs.
It may be difficult at first for the parties to a divorce to trust in the abilities of a parenting coordinator to help them resolve their conflicts over custody. Knowing a parenting coordinator’s required qualifications may help eliminate any concerns. Section 61.125(4) of Florida’s state statutes shows that in order to qualify to be a parenting coordinator, one must be one of the following:
- A licensed mental health professional
- A licensed physician
- A family law mediator with a minimum of a master’s degree in mental.
In addition, one must have three years of post-licensure or post-certification practice and be in current good standing with the Florida Bar Association before applying to become a parenting coordinator.
Along with meeting the aforementioned qualifications, potential parenting coordinators must also complete a state Supreme Court-certified family mediation training program. In conjunction with that program, they must complete 24 hours of training in the areas of parenting coordination concepts, processes and techniques, family dynamics, child development and Florida family law requirements. In addition, they must also complete 4 hours of training on dealing with cases involving child abuse and domestic violence.