For many people, trying to work together to parent a child with an ex-spouse is extremely difficult.
The court may require you to work with a professional to resolve some of your differences, and it may order a new parenting plan which you do not believe is in your child’s best interests.
You might currently be going through a high-conflict divorce and feel like you are in over your head, with little reassurance as to how things might turn out.
In these complicated situations, you may be required to work with one of the following professionals.
Parental Responsibility Evaluator
Parenting Coordinator, Decision Maker, Arbitrator & Special Master
Child & Family Investigator (CFI)
Co-parents of children involved in the family court system sometimes experience very high conflict. This conflict may occur at the initiation of a divorce, or later on due to some instigating factor such as the recent involvement of a stepparent, a substance abuse problem, or allegations of neglectful parenting.
Regardless of the reason, parents in these types of situations often find themselves meeting with a CFI, a professional trained to evaluate a family to determine what kind of parenting plan will best serve the child.
The court shall set forth the specific duties of the child and family investigator in a written order of appointment,
The unique circumstances and history of each family member are examined, as well as the expressed concerns about the child. Other recommendations included in a CFI’s report may include mental health treatment, co-parenting classes, or substance abuse treatment for a parent.
Parental Responsibility Evaluation (PRE)
The appointment of a Parental Responsibility Evaluator (PRE) is another way in which the court may attempt to reduce conflict between two parents. A PRE is similar to CFI (see above). The court may appoint a PRE to determine the allocation of parental responsibilities, usually at the request of a particular party involved in a parental responsibilities dispute, as a supplemental evaluation. A parent who does not believe the CFI completed the evaluation adequately may petition the court to appoint a PRE.
Parenting Coordinator, Decision-Maker, Arbitrator, & Special Master
These titles are different levels of court appointed professionals who assist you in maintaining your parenting plan, and resolving disputes you have about decisions and other matters pertaining to your child.
The court may appoint such a professional as a resource if you and the other parent frequently have disputes about parenting issues; this helps reduce the amount of time you spend in court or in mediation.
A Parenting Coordinator (or “PC”)8 is the lowest level. A PC may, for example, review email correspondence between you and the other parent, get your perspective on a particular disagreement, and try to help you reach an agreement.
A Decision-Maker (or “DM”)9 is given more authority by the Court to address and resolve conflicts with respect to specific areas included in the Permanent Orders. A DM can make determinations that often become orders of the court, after obtaining all relevant information about a dispute and attempting to reduce the conflict between you and the other parent.
An Arbitrator10 acts somewhat like a judge, and holds informal arbitration meetings or formal arbitration hearings to address and consider relevant information and evidence relating to an issue of conflict. The Arbitrator then issues an arbitration determination in your child’s best interest, which immediately becomes an order of the court.
A Special Master11 acts as a type of liaison to the Court, investigating the relevant facts regarding specific issues of concern. The Special Master then reaches a finding and makes a recommendation to remedy the problem. The findings often result in court orders.
Some examples of matters that may require these varying levels of intervention include making minor modifications to your parenting plan to accommodate your new work schedule, helping you decide where your child should attend school or daycare if the other parent disagrees with your choice, resolving disagreements about what activities your child will participate in, and designating a location for exchanges of your child from the other parent to you.
These professionals may also be asked by the court to take on specific responsibilities, such as monitoring a parent’s compliance with substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, or other requirements issued by the court.
Supervised Parenting Time Services
Attorneys and mental health practitioners who fulfill the role of Child and Family Investigator or Parenting Responsibility Evaluator sometimes recommend supervised parenting time services for families involved in domestic disputes.
Courts typically order implementation of supervised therapeutic parenting time and/or reintegration as a primary intervention.
Due to the occasional unavailability of agencies in Colorado that offer such services, attorneys and mental health providers may have difficulty finding experienced professionals who will supervise their clients’ visits with their children, in accordance with court orders.
The Center for Forensic & Clinical Psychology staff is trained to provide supervised parenting time both at the Center’s premises and/or at your clients’ residence.
We also accept referrals for reintegration and reunification therapy. At specified time intervals our Center can provide verbal or written feedback to you and to the court or other designated agencies, if necessary, regarding interactions between your clients and their children and the relative progress made in sessions.
Call us today at 303-837-0776 to arrange a free 30-minute consultation.
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Footnotes
8. Pursuant to C.R.S. 14-10-128.1
9. Pursuant to C.R.S. 14-10-128.3
10. Pursuant to C.R.S. 14-10-128.5
11. Pursuant to the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedures Rule 53
