Parenting Consulting & Mediation

Parenting Consulting is the official term Minnesota’s Alternative Dispute Resolution board uses under Rule 114 for the process of creating a parenting plan. In order to become a Parenting Consultant, one must first become a Mediator.

Parenting Consulting employs mediation skills while working as a neutral party with parents who no longer live in the same household full time. The focus of PC is creating parenting plans and agreements (suitable for court if necessary or ordered) focusing on the best Interests of the children.

Mediation is used to aid separating parties in coming to agreement about the division of property and assets. The focus of mediation is creating agreements (suitable for court if necessary or ordered) allowing the couple to finalize the dissolution of their relationship without expensive court costs.

Mediation and parenting consulting keep the control in your hands and the legal costs down. Ending up in court puts the final decisions in the hands of a judge who has not spent much time with you.

Parenting Consultants and Mediators can be recommended by attorneys or ordered by the court. You can also seek them out on your own.

At the end of our work, I present informed recommendations created in the best interest of your needs.

After your parenting plan is created, you contact me rather than the other parent if concerns come up. I communicate with the other parent and guide a resolution.

Although I am a licensed marriage and family therapist, when I work with consulting clients I am not wearing my therapy hat. I am using my mediation skills and PC training as a qualified neutral.

That’s what my training is for. After coming to know your circumstances and the needs of your children, as a qualified neutral I make the recommendation based on the best interests of the children.

PC and mediation sessions are scheduled for 2-3 hour sessions either in person or virtually. Depending on schedules and response time for information, we can schedule sessions weekly or every other week.

There is also plenty for me to do outside of our sessions including research, interviews and documentation.

With Parenting Consulting, we sign a 1-year contract at our first session and I remain your PC throughout the duration of the parenting plan.

My mediation role ends when we complete mediation and submit documents.

PC is offered virtually and in person. If in-person, we sit at the conference table with each parent across from the other. Our sessions are structured with objectives to cover after the first session where we create your goals. Coffee and tea are available and you can feel free to bring in a snack.

At each session, we will continue to work through our goals and objectives. If I need to do research in between sessions, I present that information to you at the next session.

Mediating and parenting consulting is an information-gathering process. I interview parents, children, family, teachers and others as necessary depending on your needs. If court-ordered, more information will be required for me to create the most supportive plan possible. Coordinating interviews and collecting data takes time. The more information you have ready to provide, the lower costs will be.

The number of sessions depends on your unique situation, much like therapy. For budget planning purposes, you can expect between 3 and 5 sessions where we meet. For every hour we meet, there is another 2 hours of work behind the scenes (excluding possible travel time).

Depending on availability, cooperation and participation level of all parties, the total time it takes for each plan varies quite a bit. The time frame can range from one to six months. I will get back to you within 2 weeks of each of our sessions.

Sometimes parties are not comfortable or ready to be in the same room with each other. We handle this by using Zoom from your separate locations and Zoom break-out rooms as needed. If meeting in person, we use the conference room and my office for each of you and I go back and forth.

Parenting Consulting and Mediation fees are due at the start of each session whether in-person or virtual. The deposit is in addition to session fees. Additional court appearance fees may apply.

• Session Rate: $150/hour

• Travel time (if needed): $15 per ¼ hour increments

• Email/Telephone time: $37 per ¼ hour increments

• Initial Deposit*: $500 from each parent

*Parenting Consulting only: Each parent makes an initial of $500 each at the start of the first session. These funds are kept on hand to cover emails, phone calls and other unscheduled activities that come up. There can be a lot of time invested in returning calls and emails. Once the Deposit account gets down to $250, each parent will be asked to make $375 deposits to replenish that account.

You can start the Parenting Consulting or Mediation process following an initial free consult, or you can email and request intake paperwork that we will use in the first session.