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N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-91

Appointment of parenting coordinator

Applied in 7 court decisions — leading case 188 N.C. App. 527 - Hall v. Hall (2008)

Most recently applied in Picotte v. Hull (January 2018)

2005-228, s. 1; 2019-172, s. 2.

How often courts cite this section

20082010201820
citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(a) The court may appoint or reappoint a parenting coordinator at any time in a child custody action involving minor children brought under Article 1 of this Chapter on or after the entry of a custody order, other than an ex parte order, or upon entry of a contempt order involving a custody issue pursuant to any of the following:

(1) All parties consent to the appointment and the scope of the parenting coordinator's authority.

(2) Upon motion of a party requesting the appointment of a parenting coordinator.

(3) Upon the court's own motion.

(b) If the parties have not consented to the appointment of a parenting coordinator, the court shall make specific findings that the action is a high-conflict case, that the appointment of the parenting coordinator is in the best interests of any minor child in the case, and that the parties are able to pay for the cost of the parenting coordinator. The court does not have to find a substantial change of circumstance has occurred to appoint a parenting coordinator.

(c) The order appointing a parenting coordinator shall specify the terms of the appointment and the issues the parenting coordinator is directed to assist the parties in resolving and deciding. Notwithstanding the appointment of a parenting coordinator, the court shall retain exclusive jurisdiction to determine fundamental issues of custody, visitation, and support, and the authority to exercise management and control of the case.

(d) The parenting coordinator shall be selected from a list maintained by the district court. Prior to the appointment, the court, the parties' attorneys, or the parties shall contact the parenting coordinator to determine if the parenting coordinator is willing and able to accept the appointment.

Official source: North Carolina General Assembly. Reproduced from public-domain North Carolina statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.