In the United States, co-parenting is used to describe situations in which two parents who are separated, divorced or no longer in a romantic relationship with one another share the rights and responsibilities of raising a child. In most co-parenting situations, divorced, separated, or unmarried parents wish to share the responsibility of rearing the children, including decisions pertaining to such important issues as time sharing (visitation), education, religious upbringing and medical care.

Co-Parenting Coaches help you come to agreements which serve the best interests of the parents and the children in ways that minimize emotional stress and/or trauma. One enormous benefit of co-parenting coaching is that any divorcing, separated or unmarried couple can utilize these services regardless of whether you have already hired attorneys and regardless of whether the attorneys are collaboratively trained.

How We Can Help You

Often, people who go through a separation or divorce (regardless of whether it is a collaborative or traditional litigated divorce) are willing to set aside some differences for the benefit and well-being of their children. When it comes to the best interests of your children, both you and your spouse deserve to come to amicable resolutions in a calm, supportive and understanding environment.

Read our frequently asked questions and learn how we can help.

Virginia Co-Parenting Coaching

A co-parenting coach helps parents craft a durable, equitable co-parenting plan that takes into account the needs and wishes of the children. A successful co-parenting plan allows the dysfunctional divorcing couple to transform into an effective co-parenting partnership that safeguards and promotes healthy development and the best interests of the children. Co-parenting coaching avoids a scenario in which a judge makes decisions for a divorcing couple. Instead you, the divorcing couple, retain decision-making power and choices in crafting a co-parenting plan that is customized and best serves your particular needs and wishes as a co-parenting team.

Using co-parenting coaches allows you to avoid a bitter child custody dispute and the possibility that a judge will unfairly decide how much time you can spend with your children. Beyond this, co-parenting coaching significantly reduces costs for a divorcing couple. By being neutral and simultaneously serving the best interests of the children and the parents, co-parenting coaches use proven, effective techniques that help resolve rigid, adversarial stances by parents (and / or lawyers), which can result in costly ongoing litigation, bitter and resentful feelings, and increased emotional trauma for all members of the family.

Co-parenting coaches utilize recent cutting-edge research that enables parents to develop co-parenting plans that:

• Focus on the best interests of the children
• Focus on healthy development of the children
• Minimize trauma to the children

Co-parenting coaches help parents negotiate and come to mutually acceptable, fair decisions, about many important issues including, but not limited to:

• Time-sharing schedules including weekdays, weekends, summer, holidays, vacations, and special events
• The importance of allowing children to maintain consistency in their lives and in both co-parenting homes
• The importance of maintaining scheduled activities, such as sports, recitals, school plays, and time with friends
• Helping co-parents keep the lives of their children as normal and predictable as possible during this time of great change and thereafter
• Helping co-parents decide when and how new significant others should be introduced into the lives of the children
• Crafting a durable, flexible agreement that can grow and change to accommodate the complexity and changes within the two co-parenting homes

In addition, co-parenting coaches can be used not only during the divorce but also after the divorce to help you work out changes that may become necessary over the course of time. Multiple studies have shown that children greatly benefit from having both parents involved in their lives. If you feel that working with a co-parenting coach to help you come to an amicable resolution in your co-parenting discussions is the best option for you and your family, talk with a CPV Collaborative Professional about your co-parenting and divorce concerns.