COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

DIVISION OF DOMESTIC RELATIONS

Plaintiff
-vs/and-
Defendant

HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO

Enter:
Date:
Case No.
File No.
Judge
Magistrate
AGREED ENTRY PARENTING COORDINATION

WHEREAS, the parties have filed numerous parenting motions and parenting issues remain unresolved;

WHEREAS the parties recognize that reducing litigation-related conflict is beneficial to their children and both parents’ desire to utilize the Parenting Coordination process pursuant to Local Rule Title II, Section 2.11.

WHEREFORE, both parents and their respective counsel agree to utilize the Parenting Coordination process and that the following shall be the order of the Court, effective immediately upon the filing of this Agreed Entry:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED: Both parties shall participate in Parenting Coordination.

PARENTING COORDINATOR APPOINTMENT.

The Court hereby appoints to serve as the parenting coordinator for the parties and minor child(ren), pursuant to Local Rule 2.11. The parenting coordinator can be reached at:

TERM OF APPOINTMENT.

The parenting coordinator is appointed for a term of months ending on .

This action is temporarily stayed for purposes of statistical reporting to the Ohio Supreme Court while the parties are in parenting coordination.

FEES AND EXPENSES.

Fees and expenses shall be paid as follows:

Compensation for the billable time of an in-court parenting coordinator shall be waived because of indigence.

Compensation for the billable time of the community parenting coordinator is pursuant to the Parenting Coordinator Brochure and Referral List (DR 2.53). Payments for a community PC must be coordinated directly with the community PC, NOT the Clerk of Courts.

The parenting coordinator has the right to suspend all services until payment of any unpaid balance.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE PARENTING COORDINATOR.

The parenting coordinator’s scope of authority is as follows:

Monitor the Court’s Order and assist the parties in resolving disputes related to the Order, except the following:

Changes in the designation of the residential parent or legal custodian;

Change in school placement of a child, in the case of shared parenting;

Substantive changes in parenting time;

Grant, modify or terminate a protection order, or penalty for violation of a protection order; or

Modification of child support, allocation of tax exemptions or benefits or division of uncovered medical expenses.

Consult with outside sources, such as teachers, therapists, physicians, attorneys for either party, family members, etc. Review school records and speak to or review the records of individuals with whom the parties and/or child(ren) have met. Upon request of the parenting coordinator, parties shall sign any and all necessary authorizations to release records and information to the parenting coordinator.

Issue a written decision, when attempts to assist the parties to reach an agreement have failed, on any of the following:

Schedule adjustments which do not substantially alter the basic time share agreement;

Participation in parenting time or companionship time by significant others, relatives, etc.;

Dates, time and method of pick-up and delivery;

Adjustment in vacations or holiday schedules;

Transportation to and from parenting time;

Participation in childcare/daycare and babysitting;

School attendance and homework;

Bedtime schedule;

Diet;

Purchase and sharing of child(ren)’s clothing, equipment and personal possessions, including possession and transporting of the same between households;

Child(ren)’s appearance and/or alteration of appearance, including haircuts, tattoos, ear, face or body piercings;

Sports, lessons and recreation;

Enrichment activities and summer camp;

Discipline;

Participation in routine at-home health care and hygiene;

Communication between the parties and between the parties and the child(ren);

Health care management issues, including choice of medical providers;

Child(ren)’s travel and passport issues;

Signing of appropriate releases from each party to provide access to confidential and privileged records, including medical, psychological or psychiatric records of a party or the child(ren);

Child(ren)’s participation in religious observances and religious education; and

Any other parenting issues that were not previously addressed by the parties.

Report to child protective services, law enforcement, or other appropriate authority pursuant to the procedures set forth in R.C. 2151.421, any suspected child abuse or neglect and any apparent serious risk of harm to a family member’s self, another family member, or a third party.

Interview the minor child(ren) privately to ascertain the child(ren)’s needs as to the issues being discussed. In conducting such an interview, the parenting coordinator shall avoid forcing a child to choose between the parties or otherwise putting a child in the middle of the parties’ conflicts.

Interview members of the immediate family or extended family of parties and other relevant third parties reasonably deemed necessary. The parties shall provide the parenting coordinator with all necessary information to contact and communicate with the above-mentioned persons, including phone numbers, mailing and residence addresses and email addresses.

CONFIDENTIALITY.

Communications between the parties and the parenting coordinator are not confidential. Therefore, the parties’ written and oral communications, negotiations and statements can and may be disclosed to others. The parenting coordinator will utilize this information in making decisions and may disclose this information in his/her written decisions.

The parties are on notice that the parenting coordinator must disclose the following information:

He/she has reason to believe that a child needs protection;

Either party or another person is in danger of bodily harm; or

He/she learns of the intent to commit a felony.

PARENTING COORDINATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

CONTACT WITH THE PARENTING COORDINATOR.

The parenting coordinator will inform the parties of the method of communication that they need to use throughout the parenting coordination process. The parenting coordinator should not be contacted outside of the work hours he/she communicates to the parties unless the parenting coordinator specifically authorizes parties in writing to call after hours, and then only for the specific purposes the parenting coordinator allows. The Court may sanction any party who abuses the parenting coordinator’s personal time.

Each party shall contact the parenting coordinator within ten (10) days of the date of this Order to schedule the first appointment. The parties shall meet with the parenting coordinator within thirty (30) days of this Order. The parenting coordinator shall determine the schedule for subsequent appointments, which may be over the telephone, in-person or any other means the parenting coordinator deems appropriate. The parties shall attend parenting coordination sessions as the parenting coordinator requests. The parenting coordinator has the authority to approve or to disapprove any request to reschedule parenting coordination sessions.

The parties are responsible for providing the parenting coordinator with all necessary contact information, including all phone numbers, mailing and residence addresses and e-mail addresses.

The parenting coordinator shall be given notice of all hearings and proceedings and shall be provided a copy of all pleadings, motions, notices and other documents filed in the case.

EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES:

The parenting coordinator is not available to respond to emergencies. Urgent health matters should be directed to an emergency room service, physician, or therapist. If a child is in imminent danger of harm, parties shall contact law enforcement, Hamilton County Job & Family Services or other appropriate agency, not the parenting coordinator.

RECORD KEEPING:

The parenting coordinator will maintain all notes from the parenting coordination process, including electronic and regular mail communications. Parties shall sign and abide by all agreements reached during a parenting coordination session.

PARENTING COORDINATOR DECISIONS:

If the parties are unable to reach an agreement regarding a dispute, the parenting coordinator shall prepare a written Parenting Coordinator Decision (DR 2.57), which shall set forth the reasons for the parenting coordinator’s decision. The Decision shall be effective immediately and the parties shall follow until otherwise ordered by the court. Should either party object to the written Parenting Coordinator Decision, that party shall follow the procedures for filing objections set forth in Local Rule 2.11.

SANCTIONS:

Any party who violates this Order may be subject to sanctions, including but not limited to, additional fees, forfeiture of paid fees, contempt of court, attorney fees, or costs. The parenting coordinator may recommend sanctions to the Court.

All orders of this Court shall remain in full force and effect until further order of this Court.

By signature on this Agreed Entry, both parties expressly, knowingly, and voluntarily waive their right, if any, to the Court’s issuance of separate findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Judge/Magistrate

Plaintiff	Defendant

Attorney for Plaintiff	Attorney for Defendant

Copy of this Agreed Entry to:

Dispute Resolution Department, 800 Broadway Street, 3-001, Cincinnati, OH 45202