Longtime Chicago-area family law attorney Raiford Dalton Palmer, author of the Amazon bestselling book “I Just Want This Done,” says a new “parenting coordinator” program in Illinois has helped reduce legal fights among divorced parents who don’t get along.
Established by the state Supreme Court over the summer, the program allows local circuit courts to establish a program permitting judges to appoint a licensed mental health or family law professional to resolve minor disputes between parents who cannot come to agreement with each other.
“For parents who just don’t get along and who have an existing parenting court order in place, a parenting coordinator can help reduce friction and come to a resolution over issues like who gets the children for Spring Break this year, or whether a child can play after-school soccer,” said Palmer, who is also managing shareholder at STG Divorce Law in Chicago. “This program helps other people involved in divorce, too, by keeping courtrooms free from routine disputes over parenting could be resolved elsewhere.”
Parenting coordinators are available in at least 10 states around the country, including Colorado, Massachusetts, and Texas, and were already available in Cook County, home of Chicago.
Palmer said the rule change is part of a larger trend toward alternative-dispute resolution and other methods of resolving divorce and child custody issues without going to court. He detailed many of these processes in his bestselling book “I Just Want This Done: How Smart, Successful People Get Divorced Without Losing their Kids, Money, and Minds.”
“Divorce is a deeply intense and personal issue for couples, touching on everything from their finances to how to raise their kids,” added Palmer. “Anything that a couple can do to keep that out of a courtroom and resolve their disputes privately can only help.”
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About Raiford Dalton Palmer, J.D., AAML
Raiford Dalton Palmer is a long-time Illinois attorney and managing shareholder of Chicago-based STG Divorce Law where he concentrates on family law focusing on complex divorce cases, especially those involving high-income earners. His work includes collaborative divorce, mediation, child custody, and post-divorce matters as well as premarital/post-marital agreements. He has successfully won multiple jury and bench trials and managed numerous successful arbitrations and mediations. Raiford has also argued an appeal before the Illinois Appellate Court. He is a frequent lecturer on Illinois divorce law and law firm management topics and is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the Collaborative Law Institute. To learn more, visit www.ijustwantthisdone.
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