1. Mediation: As a mediator who believes in familial autonomy first and foremost, Rachel will attempt to mediate the situation and see if there is a middle ground that can be reached by the parents themselves.

2. Coaching: If mediation does not result in resolution, Rachel will offer some coaching and suggestions for how the situation should be handled.

3. Decision: If the first 2 techniques do not produce solutions that are in the best interest of the children, Rachel will issue a legally-binding decision according to the quasi-judicial authority Parenting Consultants are granted in Minnesota. This is done by reviewing all of the information provided by the parties, speaking with collateral resources as necessary, and researching when needed.

A Parenting Consultant, also called a Parenting Coordinator (PC), is a court-appointed neutral party who can help parents make decisions that are in the best interest of the children when the parents struggle to do so on their own. Depending on the issue at hand, Rachel typically does this in a 3 step process:

Once it has been determined that your family and Rachel are the right fit to work together, the PC process will begin with a meeting with both parents if possible. If there is a restraining order in place, we will work together to figure out the best way forward. The first meeting will be mostly administrative in nature, with Rachel reviewing the contract with both parties and making sure to answer any questions you have. We will not begin to discuss the issues at hand during this meeting.

Following the initial meeting, each parent will have a one-on-one meeting with Rachel. During these meetings, each party will have the opportunity to share any necessary information with Rachel that will help in our work together, and Rachel will ask questions to better understand the nature and relationship of the family.

After the two individual meetings, there will be another meeting with Rachel and both parties together. At this meeting, we will work together to identify your goals for your family and which issues are most pressing to address. This will set the stage for out work together.

Please reach out to our office today at Admin@RachelKennedyMediation today to learn more about PC services and to retain Rachel to work on your case.

Please see the video below for answers to your most-asked questions about the PC process, and reach out to Admin@RachelKennedyMediation with any additional questions you may have.