Rule 1915.11-1.A - Parenting Coordination(a)Parenting Coordinator Appointment/Appointment of a Parenting Coordinator.(1) Either party may file the appropriate pleading pursuant to Pa.R.Civ.P. 1915.22, seeking the appointment of a Parenting Coordinator. If the parties agree to the appointment of a Parenting Coordinator and to the Parenting Coordinator, the appropriate pleading is required but may be accompanied by a stipulation and order appointing a Parenting Coordinator in accordance with Pa.R.Civ.P. 1915.22. Comment: In a contested appointment for a parenting coordinator, the appropriate pleading is a petition; in an agreed to appointment, the appropriate pleading is a motion with a Praecipe for Determination.
(2) If the Court deems a Parenting Coordinator necessary, an order shall be entered in accordance with Pa.R.Civ.P. 1915.22. If the parties cannot agree on the selection of a Parenting Coordinator, the Court shall require each party to identify his/her choice(s) along with the hourly rate of each to all parties. If the parties cannot agree, the Court will select a Parenting Coordinator. The roster of the Court's approved Parenting Coordinators and their stated hourly rates shall be posted at http://www.chesco.org.(3) Any party seeking a pro bono appointment must file with Prothonotary a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis for the appointment of a Parenting Coordinator within three (3) days of the appointment order absent good cause shown. The In Forma Pauperis form can be found at http://www.chesco.org.(b)Roster of Approved Parenting Coordinators.An attorney or mental health professional seeking to be included on the Chester County Court's roster of qualified individuals to serve as a Parenting Coordinator shall submit an affidavit to the Administrative Family Court Judge or his/her designee together with the following:
(1) An affidavit attesting the applicant has qualifications found in Pa.R.Civ.P. 1915.11-1;(3) An acknowledgment that for every 2 fee generating Parenting Coordination assignments, he or she must accept one pro bono assignment (up to 12 hours per pro bono case).(4) The application to be considered for appointment as a Parenting Coordinator for Chester County and Affidavit as required by C.C.R.C.P. 1915.11-1.A(b)(1) can be found at Forms # 16, for attorneys and Form # 17 for mental health professionals.(c)Parenting Coordinator Recommendations(1) Parenting Coordinator shall serve counsel, the parties and the Family Court Legal Liasion or Court Administrator with their Summary and Recommendation(s), accompanied by a Praecipe for Determination, within two (2) days after the last communication with the parties on the issues in accordance with Pa.R.Civ.P. 1915.11-1(f)(2). This service may be accomplished by email to the parties and Family Court at the designated email address (fcconfereces@chesco.org ). The Parenting Coordinator shall file their Summary and Recommendation(s) and a Praecipe for Determination within (5) days of service.(2)Objections to Parenting Coordinator's Recommendation(s) and Petition for a Record Hearing.i. A party objecting to the Recommendation(s) must present Objection(s) to the Recommendation of the Parenting Coordinator and a Request for a Record Hearing within five days of service of the Summary and Recommendation(s) along with a hearing notice to Family Court for scheduling before the Family Court Judge who appointed the Parenting Coordinator, or other judge if the appointing judge no longer sits in Family Court. The documents shall then be filed with the Prothonotary and the party objecting shall serve a time-stamped copy of the Objection(s) and the hearing notice on the opposing party and the Parenting Coordinator.ii. The Recommendation of the Parenting Coordinator is binding pending Hearing.iii. Following an evidentiary hearing, the objecting party shall serve the resulting Order of Court on the Objection(s) to the Recommendation of the Parenting Coordinator on the parties and the Parenting Coordinator.(3)Court Review of Parenting Coordinator's Recommendations.If no objections to the Parenting Coordinator's Recommendation(s) are filed with the Prothonotary within five days of service of the Summary and Recommendation(s), the Prothonotary shall transmit the file to the Court Administrator's Office to be assigned to the appointing Judge, if available within a reasonable time, otherwise to any Family Court Judge for review of the Recommendation in accordance with Pa.R.Civ.P. 1915.11-1(f)(4). The Prothonotary shall serve the Order on counsel of record and/or self-represented litigants. Counsel for the parties shall serve the Parenting Coordinator.
(d)FEES(1) Parties who request the appointment of a Parenting Coordinator or who are identified by the Court as benefiting from the appointment of a Parenting Coordinator shall pay the Parenting Coordinator as follows:i. His or her hourly rate, which may be up to $350.00 an hour; provided, however, if the parties combined monthly net income exceeds the mandatory minimum set forth in the Support Guidelines at 1910.16-2(e)(2) (currently $30,000 per month), the Court may adjust the hourly rate;ii. Absent good cause, each party shall pay up to $750 as an initial retainer ($1,500.00 total) which may be reallocated as deemed appropriate by the Parenting Coordinator or the Court. See Pa.R.C.P. 1915.22(8).iii. If a party is granted In Forma Pauperis status by the Court specifically for the appointment of a Parenting Coordinator, the Parenting Coordinator so appointed shall serve on a pro bono (no fee) basis, up to 12 hours.iv. A Parenting Coordinator must accept one pro bono appointment for every two fee generating appointments.Chest. Cnty. Ct. Comm. Plea. R. 1915.11-1.A
Amended effective 6/13/2022; amended effective 1/22/2024.