How a Parent Coordinator Engagement Works in Maryland

You have decided a parent coordinator might be the right tool for your family, or someone (an attorney, a therapist, or the court) has suggested it. Now what?

The parent coordinator role in Maryland is well-defined by Maryland Rule 9-205.2, but the actual experience of working with a PC is less well-explained. Parents who have never done this before often show up to their first meeting unsure what will happen, what the PC will ask them to do, and what a typical engagement looks like over the following months.

This post walks through the workflow from start to finish. My earlier post, What Does a Parent Coordinator Actually Do?, covered the PC role in the abstract. This one covers what a family actually experiences when they engage one. My other earlier post, 7 Signs It's Time to Revisit Your Co-Parenting Plan, covered the signals that tell you a PC might help. This post is the "what happens next" companion.

Maryland family law attorney, mediator, and parent coordinator Jessica Zadjura works with families across Howard and Anne Arundel Counties. What follows is a working explanation of how a typical parent coordinator engagement runs.

How Does a Parent Coordinator Engagement Work in Maryland?

A Maryland parent coordinator engagement typically involves four phases: an initial intake and scope-setting phase, an onboarding session or sessions with both parents together, ongoing dispute intake and resolution as issues arise, and periodic check-ins to assess whether the arrangement is working. Court-appointed PC engagements last up to 2 years under Maryland Rule 9-205.2 and may be extended by written agreement. Engagements by written agreement between parents can last for any duration the parties choose. The specific pace and structure depend on the family, but the phases apply broadly across engagements.

BEFORE THE ENGAGEMENT BEGINS

Two things happen before the first joint session with the PC.

First, the engagement itself has to be set up. There are two pathways to engage a PC in Maryland, covered in more depth in What Does a Parent Coordinator Actually Do?. Parents can agree in writing to engage a PC without court involvement, or a Maryland court can appoint a PC under Maryland Rule 9-205.2(f). The pathway affects the scope of the engagement, the cost allocation, and any reporting obligations the PC may have to the court in an appointed engagement.

Second, in most engagements, each parent has an initial conversation with the PC (or receives an intake package) before the first joint session. The purpose is to give the PC a working understanding of the family before the parents are in the room together. Depending on the PC, this might include a written questionnaire covering basic family information, the history of the custody matter, the current custody or parenting plan, and any prior use of mediation or parent coordination. Some PCs also conduct brief individual intake calls with each parent.

None of this pre-work is designed to develop a therapeutic relationship or to give the PC an advantage in evaluating one parent over the other. The PC is impartial. The intake exists so the first joint session can focus on the actual work rather than on background collection.

PHASE 1: INTAKE AND SCOPE-SETTING

The first joint session with the PC is usually not focused on a specific dispute. It is focused on setting up the engagement itself.

Topics typically covered in the intake and scope-setting session:

• The PC's role and its limits. The PC re-explains what a Maryland parent coordinator does and does not do, including that communications are not confidential, that the PC does not represent either parent, and that the PC cannot make decisions except in the narrow circumstance authorized by Rule 9-205.2(g)(9).

• The specific scope of the engagement. What kinds of disputes are within the PC's scope? What kinds are outside it? Well-defined scope produces better outcomes; a poorly defined scope can lead to an engagement that expands beyond what the parents actually need.

• Communication expectations. Which platform will be used for communication between the parents and the PC (email, a parenting app, or another channel)? What is the PC's response time expectation for new disputes? How do the parents want the PC to communicate with them individually versus jointly?

• Fees, cost allocation, and payment mechanics. In an engagement by written agreement, the PC's fee is set by the PC and agreed to in the engagement agreement. In a court-appointed engagement, the court sets the fee and the cost allocation.

• Any court-order or engagement-agreement-specific requirements. If the PC has been given decision-making authority under Rule 9-205.2(g)(9), what specific categories of decisions does that authority cover?

In many engagements, this scope-setting session is longer than later working sessions. It is where the framework for the entire engagement is built. When parents skip or rush this session, they usually pay for it later in confusion about what the PC can and cannot do.

PHASE 2: ONBOARDING

After scope-setting, most PC engagements include one or more onboarding sessions with both parents. The purpose here shifts from setting up the engagement to actually beginning the work.

Common onboarding topics:

• The current parenting plan or custody order, and where it does and does not work in practice. The PC reviews the plan with both parents present, walks through the practical gaps, and helps the parents identify the areas most likely to produce future conflict.

• Communication guidelines between the parents themselves. The PC may help the parents develop a communication protocol, including tone standards, response-time expectations, subject-matter categories (which topics should go through the PC versus which can be handled directly), and how to handle disagreements about interpretation of the parenting plan.

• Documentation practices. Which agreements need to be in writing, where they will be stored, and who is responsible for producing the written record.

• Preventive planning for known upcoming challenges. If the family has predictable friction points in the calendar (summer transitions, holiday allocations, back-to-school logistics), the onboarding session is often where the parents work through those in advance.

Onboarding is where the PC's structure and directive style come into play most visibly. Parents often expect the PC to be more mediator-like (open-ended, non-directive) than the role actually is. The PC's job in onboarding is to help the parents build the working framework for the rest of the engagement, and that requires directness.

PHASE 3: ONGOING DISPUTE INTAKE AND RESOLUTION

Once the framework is in place, the engagement moves into what most parents think of as the actual work. Disputes come up. The PC handles them.

A typical dispute-resolution cycle in a Maryland PC engagement:

1. A parent contacts the PC about a specific dispute. The contact usually goes through the communication channel established at intake (email, parenting app, or similar).

2. The PC responds within the response-time window established at intake. In most engagements, this is 24 to 72 hours, though urgent matters get faster turnaround.

3. The PC either handles the dispute through written exchange or schedules a call or meeting with both parents. Simpler disputes often resolve through email. More complex ones require a synchronous conversation.

4. In the session or exchange, the PC helps the parents identify the actual disagreement (which is often not the surface issue), surface options, and reach an agreement. If the PC has decision-making authority under Rule 9-205.2(g)(9) and the parents cannot agree on a minor and temporary access issue within that scope, the PC may decide.

5. The agreement or decision is documented in writing and distributed to both parents.

The rhythm of ongoing work varies widely by family. Some families use the PC for a single dispute every few months. Others use the PC for multiple issues per week during a busy period. In most engagements, the frequency drops over time as the parents develop patterns for handling disputes on their own.

The pace also varies with life events. Summer, holidays, the start and end of the school year, and any significant change in either parent's circumstances (new job, relocation, new partner) tend to produce clusters of disputes. Engagements that were quiet for months can become active for a few weeks when one of these life events lands.

PHASE 4: PERIODIC CHECK-INS

Most PC engagements include periodic check-ins that are not tied to a specific dispute. The purpose is to step back from the individual issues and assess whether the arrangement is working.

Check-in topics typically include:

• Whether the current parenting plan is still serving the family, or whether adjustments (formal or informal) would help

• Whether the communication protocols established at intake are working, or whether they need revision

• Whether the frequency and cost of the PC engagement is still appropriate, or whether the scope should be reduced or expanded

• Whether there are patterns in the disputes that suggest larger issues worth addressing

• Whether the engagement should continue, wind down, or transition to a different structure

For most families, the goal of a PC engagement is not indefinite continuation. It is to build the communication capacity that reduces the need for outside help over time. A successful engagement often ends with the parents transitioning to handling most disputes on their own, keeping the PC available for occasional escalations.

What Ends a Parent Coordinator Engagement in Maryland?

Court-appointed engagements end at the term set by the court, typically 2 years, unless extended by written agreement of the parties. The court can also terminate an engagement earlier if circumstances change.

Engagements by written agreement end according to the terms in the engagement agreement. Common trigger points include:

• A fixed term expires and neither party seeks renewal

• Both parents agree the engagement is no longer needed

• One parent withdraws consent (subject to any notice requirements in the engagement agreement)

• The PC withdraws for professional reasons, including a conflict of interest

• The family's circumstances change materially (a relocation, a new marriage, a change in the underlying custody order) and the current PC arrangement no longer fits

Whether the engagement ends or continues, the working relationships and communication patterns the parents developed during the engagement usually outlast the engagement itself. That is the point of the work.

Practice Notes: How Zadjura Family Law Structures PC Engagements

Depending on the situation, Jessica Zadjura's role in a PC engagement may be as the neutral parent coordinator (in engagements where the parents choose her for that role) or as one parent's family law attorney (in cases where the parents have a different PC). She does not serve both roles in the same family.

Zadjura Family Law works with parents across Howard and Anne Arundel Counties from offices in Columbia, MD and Annapolis, MD. The first step for most families considering a PC engagement is a consultation to determine whether the role fits the situation and, if so, which pathway (engagement by agreement or court appointment) makes sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long does a Maryland parent coordinator engagement last?

  Court-appointed PC engagements in Maryland can last up to 2 years under Maryland Rule 9-205.2 and may be extended by written agreement of the parties. Engagements by written agreement between parents can last for any duration the parties choose. In practice, most Maryland families use a PC for 1 to 2 years, often after an initial contested custody case, and either extend the engagement or transition out of it as the co-parenting relationship becomes more stable.

• What happens in the first meeting with a Maryland parent coordinator?

  The first joint session with a Maryland parent coordinator is usually focused on setting up the engagement rather than resolving a specific dispute. The PC reviews the role and its limits, sets the scope of the engagement, establishes communication expectations and response times, and (in engagements by written agreement) reviews fees and cost allocation. In most engagements, each parent has already had an intake conversation or completed an intake questionnaire before the first joint session.

• How quickly does a Maryland parent coordinator respond when a dispute arises?

  Response times vary by PC and are typically set in the engagement agreement or court order. In most Maryland PC engagements, the response window for a new dispute is 24 to 72 hours, though urgent matters receive faster turnaround. Simpler disputes often resolve through email exchange. More complex ones require a synchronous conversation. The response-time expectation is one of the topics established at the intake and scope-setting session.

• Does a Maryland parent coordinator have to schedule regular sessions?

  No. Unlike therapy, a Maryland PC engagement does not require regularly scheduled sessions. The PC responds when disputes arise. Some engagements do include periodic check-ins that are not tied to a specific dispute, but these are for assessing whether the arrangement is working rather than for ongoing therapeutic work. The frequency of PC involvement typically decreases over time as the parents develop patterns for handling disputes on their own.

• What ends a Maryland parent coordinator engagement?

  Court-appointed engagements end at the term set by the court, typically 2 years, unless extended by written agreement of the parties. Engagements by written agreement end according to the terms in the engagement agreement. Common trigger points include a fixed term expiring, both parents agreeing the engagement is no longer needed, one parent withdrawing consent subject to notice requirements, the PC withdrawing for professional reasons, or a material change in the family's circumstances that makes the current arrangement no longer fit.

• Can I use a parent coordinator without a court order in Maryland?

  Yes. Parents in Maryland can engage a PC by written agreement at any time, with or without a pending court case. No court approval is required. The parents and the PC sign an engagement agreement that sets the scope, fees, communication expectations, and process. This pathway is faster than a court appointment and often works for parents who want to address recurring parenting disputes without opening a court case or after a court case has closed.

The Bottom Line

A Maryland parent coordinator engagement is more structured than most parents expect and more flexible than the court process. The four phases (intake and scope-setting, onboarding, ongoing dispute resolution, and periodic check-ins) apply broadly across engagements, though the specific pace and structure vary by family.

If you are considering a parent coordinator engagement in Maryland, the first step is usually a consultation to determine whether the role fits your situation and which pathway makes sense. Schedule a consultation with Zadjura Family Law to talk through your situation.

Jessica Zadjura is a Maryland family law attorney, mediator, and parent coordinator with 15 years of experience. She is the founder of Zadjura Family Law LLC, serving clients across Howard and Anne Arundel Counties.