Parenting coordination in Indiana is a child-focused dispute resolution process designed to help high-conflict parents implement and comply with their court-ordered parenting plans. Under Section V of the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines, a Parenting Coordinator (PC) is a qualified, impartial professional—typically a licensed mental health professional or family law attorney—who assists parents in resolving day-to-day disputes without resorting to litigation. Joan prioritizes creating an environment where parenting coordination clients feel fully heard and understood.

How a Parenting Coordinator Is Appointed: A PC may be appointed by mutual agreement of the parents or by a formal court order.

• By Agreement: Parents can stipulate to the appointment and select a PC together to manage ongoing conflicts.   
• By Court Order: The court may appoint a PC on its own motion if it determines the appointment is in the child’s best interests.

Duration of the Appointment

• Initial Term: The parties may agree on the term, but the initial court-ordered appointment cannot exceed two years.   
• Extensions: The court may extend the appointment beyond two years for good cause shown.   
• Termination: The court can terminate the PC’s appointment at any time if there is no longer a need, if the child reaches the age of majority, or if continuation is contrary to the child’s best interest. Parents may petition for termination based on grounds such as bias, exceeding authority, or changed circumstances.

Duties of a Parenting Coordinator: A Parenting Coordinator serves as an educator and facilitator. Key duties include:

• Facilitating Dispute Resolution: Helping parents resolve minor, ongoing disagreements regarding logistics, exchange locations, pick-up times, and extracurricular activity schedules. Conflicts are resolved in “real time” as they happen. 
• Monitoring Compliance: Ensuring both parties follow existing custody and parenting time orders.   
• Educating Parents: Educating co-parents, such as advising on communication, strategies for enforcing any shared parenting plan and/or parenting time schedule, minimizing child-related conflicts between the parents, and eliminating unproductive or harmful behavior patterns by one or both of the parents.
• Making Recommendations & Reports: Providing formal recommendations to the Court regarding co-parenting issues. The PC may recommend counseling and other mental health treatment.
• Scope of Limitations: A PC cannot alter legal custody, modify child support, or make substantive changes to the parenting plan.

How a Parenting Coordinator Improves the Co-Parenting Relationship:

• Reduces Litigation and Stress: By helping to resolve day-to-day conflicts out of court, PCs save parents time and the financial costs of repeated court hearings.   
• Establishes Healthy Communication Patterns: PCs guide parents toward civil communication methods and improve their co-parenting relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions About Parenting Coordination in Indiana

 

1. What is Parenting Coordination in Indiana?

Parenting Coordination is a court-ordered, child-focused dispute resolution process that helps high-conflict parents manage recurring disputes and keep the focus on their child’s needs. Under Section V of Indiana’s Parenting Time Guidelines, a Parenting Coordinator works with parents who have ongoing conflict over their child’s care, parenting-time schedule, or related issues that are affecting the child. The impartial Parenting Coordinator may help parents avoid litigation, manage conflict, improve decision-making, and work toward practical resolutions within the authority set by the court.

2. Do I need a Parenting Coordinator for my Indiana custody case?

Parenting Coordination may be worth considering when repeated disagreements between co-parents make it difficult to follow a parenting-time order or address day-to-day child-related issues. Indiana’s Parenting Time Guidelines outline Parenting Coordination for “high-conflict parties” or parents whose ongoing communication and decision-making difficulties affect their child. A Parenting Coordinator can help parents address conflicts without changing the court’s authority over custody, parenting time, or child support.

3. How is a Parenting Coordinator appointed in Indiana, and who can serve?

A Parenting Coordinator may be appointed by agreement of the parents or by a court order. A court may appoint a Parenting Coordinator at the time of, or after, a parenting-time order when doing so is in the child’s best interests. If the court appoints a PC without both parents’ consent, the order must include a written explanation of why the appointment is appropriate. Indiana also requires a PC to be a registered Indiana Domestic Relations Mediator with additional Parenting Coordination training or experience satisfactory to the appointing court.

4. What can a Parenting Coordinator do in an Indiana family-law case?

A Parenting Coordinator can help parents manage conflict, improve communication, and work through child-related disputes within the specific authority described in the appointment order. Indiana’s guidelines identify responsibilities such as assessing the family and litigation history, educating parents about how their behavior affects the child, facilitating conflict management, and assisting with parenting plans or alternative resolutions. The exact issues a Coordinator may address, and whether the Coordinator may make a report or recommendation, depend on the court’s written appointment order. A Parenting Coordinator does not provide legal advice.

5. Can a Parenting Coordinator change custody, parenting time, or child support in Indiana?

No. A Parenting Coordinator cannot replace or modify the court’s authority to decide custody, parenting time, or child support. Indiana’s guidelines preserve the court’s exclusive jurisdiction over those issues. A Coordinator may submit a written recommendation to the court when parents do not agree, but the court decides whether to adopt it, reject it, or set a hearing. A parent generally has 10 days after the written report is filed to object, unless the court sets a different deadline.

6. How much does Parenting Coordination cost in Indiana, and who pays for it?

The cost and payment arrangement for Parenting Coordination depend on the written agreement and the court’s order. Indiana’s guidelines call for a written agreement between the parents and the Coordinator to address practical details not included in the appointment order, including fees, billing practices, and retainers. If the parents do not reach an agreement about fees, the court has discretion to apportion the cost between them. Before agreeing to Parenting Coordination, parents should review the appointment order and the Coordinator’s written fee terms carefully.

For the full text, see the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines.

Last reviewed: October 31, 2026

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