Understanding who does what — and why it matters.
When families are involved in family court, several neutral professionals may be appointed. Knowing who does what helps prevent confusion, mixed messages, and unnecessary escalation.
Guardian ad Litem (GAL)
Appointed by the court to represent the child's best interests.
A GAL is appointed in cases where conflict is high and the child's voice might otherwise be lost. The GAL's role is protective and observational — not therapeutic.
- Focuses on the child's safety, stability, and well-being
- Gathers information from parents, professionals, school, and records
- Observes patterns affecting the child's relationship with a parent
- Helps the court understand how conflict is impacting the child
- Makes recommendations based on the child's best interests
- Provide therapy or counseling
- Act as either parent's attorney
- Take sides between parents
- Make final custody or visitation decisions
- Keep secrets that involve safety concerns
Parenting Coordinator (PC)
Helps parents implement existing orders and resolve ongoing parenting disputes.
A PC helps parents put existing custody and parenting plans into practice — and resolves day-to-day disputes before they escalate into courtroom conflicts. The PC's role is practical and forward-focused.
- Facilitates communication between parents on parenting matters
- Helps resolve day-to-day disagreements
- Helps parents interpret and apply existing court orders consistently
- Supports structure and predictability for children
- Modify custody orders
- Conduct formal hearings or issue final court orders
- Provide therapy to parents or children
- Take sides between parents
Evaluative Mediator
Helps parents reach voluntary agreements on custody, parenting, and property.
An evaluative mediator guides discussion and offers practical, experience-based feedback about realistic options and how courts typically approach similar situations. All agreements remain voluntary — the court retains final authority.
- Helps identify areas of agreement and disagreement
- Provides feedback about likely court considerations
- Helps families explore workable, realistic court agreements
- Supports voluntary settlement between parents
- May draft proposed agreements for court review
- Investigate families or gather evidence
- Advocate for either parent
- Provide therapy
- Report to the court about family behavior
- Make binding decisions
Visitation Supervisor
Provides supervised visitation to ensure safe parent-child contact.
A visitation supervisor observes and documents parent-child visits in cases where there are safety concerns or court-ordered supervision requirements. Their role is neutral and observational.
- Supervises and documents parent-child visits
- Ensures the child's safety during contact
- Provides objective reports when required
- Maintains a neutral, non-therapeutic role
- Provide therapy or counseling
- Take sides between parents
- Make custody recommendations
- Modify visitation orders
Parenting Coach
Supports parents in developing effective, child-focused co-parenting skills.
A parenting coach works with individual parents to build communication skills, reduce reactive patterns, and develop strategies that center the child's needs during and after separation.
- Coaches individual parents on co-parenting communication
- Helps reduce conflict triggers and reactive patterns
- Supports child-focused decision-making
- Builds skills for healthier transitions between homes
- Provide therapy or mental health treatment
- Act as a mediator between parents
- Report to the court
- Take sides between parents
Each role, clearly defined.
| Role | Primary Focus |
|---|---|
| Therapists | Emotional health and stability for children and parents |
| Guardian ad Litem | Protecting the child's interests and informing the court |
| Parenting Coordinator | Implementing orders and reducing day-to-day conflict |
| Evaluative Mediator | Supporting voluntary agreement and settlement outside of court |
| Visitation Supervisor | Ensuring safe, supervised parent-child contact |
| Parenting Coach | Building child-focused co-parenting skills |