Parenting Coordinator: An Analysis of Spanish Judicial Reasoning

Abstract

A parenting coordinator (PC) is a professional who inter­venes in judicial contexts involving high conflict parental litigation in order to safeguard the child’s best interest, as well as dealing with issues concerning coparenting. This new role has been the object of specific directives from international professional associations such as the Asso­ciation of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC, 2006), and the American Psychological Association (APA, 2012), who have established guidelines for professional practice. The figure of the PC has been introduced only recently in Spain, with Catalonia being the first autono­mous communities to do so. Bearing these circumstances in mind, this study aims to assess the impact of this new figure on judicial judgements by examining both the legal reasoning, and the judges’ rationale guiding the professional practice of this figure. Judicial judgements from the CENDOJ database involving the figure of the Parenting coordinator were analysed. The results ob­tained shed light on the legal reasoning cited by judicial decision-makers in their judgements and the criteria em­ployed to justify this new figure and its correspondence with international guidelines. Judgements were found to be grounded on legal reasoning and the criteria was es­sentially in accordance with guidelines proposed by in­ternational associations. Nevertheless, legal decision-makers must further their understanding concerning the role of the CP in order to assist families with high con­flict parents to ensure positive coparenting.