-Parenting Coordination

The negative impact of high-conflict divorce on children can be devastating, traumatic, and extremely stressful.  Chronic fighting between parents can negatively impact the relationship between children and one or both parents, and children who experience high conflict divorce have increased chances of suffering serious psychological and social problems.

Parenting coordination is a child-focused alternative dispute resolution process in which mental health or legal professionals with family mediation and parenting coordination training assist high conflict co-parents to implement their parenting plan by facilitating the resolution of their disputes in a timely manner, educating parents about children’s needs, protecting and sustaining safe, healthy parent-child relationships, and with prior approval of the parties and/or the court, making decisions within the scope of the court order or appointment contract.

-Social Investigation

A social investigation is an investigative process conducted by a mental health professional.  The social investigator is an impartial examiner that will assess each party, the child(ren), and any other necessary collateral sources in order to formulate an opinion as to how parents should share parental responsibility and recommend the best time-sharing arrangement for each parent and the child.  After the assessment, the investigator will provide the court with a social investigation report that includes facts regarding all parties and a parenting plan recommendation to assist the court in making decisions that are in the best interest of and consider the special needs of the child involved.

-Guardian Ad Litem

A guardian ad litem is a court-appointed representative who is tasked with acting as the duty to help protect the child’s best interests, a guardian ad litem is NOT a child’s “lawyer” or “advocate.” The role of a guardian ad litem is viewed more as an investigator or an evaluator.

In a high-conflict divorce or child custody case, a Florida court may appoint a guardian ad litem to help investigate a dispute and ensure that a child’s best interests are fully protected. The guardian ad litem serves as an investigator who works on behalf of the court, with the main purpose of determining what is best for the child. The guardian ad litem can address issues that the court finds necessary to investigate, including relocation, parental responsibility, decision-making, timesharing, and/or alienation.

A guardian ad litem will conduct interviews of the parents involved in the case and will talk to the child directly. As part of the investigation, it will include home visits, interviews with the child’s teachers, therapist, doctors, grandparents, and other important people in the child’s life. A guardian ad litem will also review the court file and all other important records in the case. 

-For additional information about any of these alternative dispute resolution family court roles, please contact me at 407-808-1900 or email crystalnicosia@gmail.com