Coordination FAQs for Legal Professionals and Caregivers

I am a fully licensed mental health professional, and I have 40 hours of training in topics such as child development, family violence, ethics, legal issues, and mediation. I can provide proof of all required training and licensure upon request. Although I will not be a therapist to families in any capacity, my experience informs my work.

I incorporate questionnaires and screeners of both parents and child(ren) to understand how everyone is feeling and coping regarding family dynamics. From there, I can take an individualized approach to support, educate, and encourage caregivers to lower conflict levels in the hopes of coming to an agreement. I work within a pre-determined number of sessions to help you and your co-parent agree on a parenting plan.

In addition to having the required forty hours and professional license, my doctoral dissertation was focused on research related to high conflict divorce and the dynamics of parent child attachment in strained co parenting. This makes me uniquely positioned to assess and provide support grounded in evidence.

Coordination is delivered virtually. I meet with caregivers individually and jointly.

My hourly rate for coordination is 160.00 per hour, billed at .15 hours. During a joint session with caregivers, that’s 80 per hour per caregiver split evenly. I do not require a retainer if you have a card to put on file. Otherwise, I do require a retainer deposit up front. I require a court order to begin services. I have other fees for email monitoring, court reports and appearances, etc. Inquire for more info about specific rates. My rate for being called to appear in court is 400.00 per hour, so it is very costly for families.

Of course! Legal representatives are free to schedule a meeting with me via teleconference to assess fit. Keep in mind that I do not work for any one person and I am not anyone’s therapist, nor can I ever be anyone’s therapist once I have worked with a family in a coordinator capacity. Consulting with me does not make me your therapist or your coordinator. I am always a neutral party.

I operate on an appointment basis. I do my best to be flexible and ask that all parties do the same. I cannot promise that every meeting will be evening or weekend, but a mixture of regular business hours and “after hours” meetings is likely.

Time management is important. I keep initial intakes to 90 minutes, and facilitation sessions to 1 hour, although length can be shorter or longer based on need, and can vary depending on progress or lack thereof.

Coordination is a confidential process for caregivers, while facilitation is not confidential and requires court reporting and I may be asked to make recommendations. I HIGHLY encourage caregivers to use coordination due to confidential nature as well as coordination being more affordable due to less reporting requirements. I am qualified to provide coordination and facilitation.