In Colorado, a parenting coordinator-decision maker (PCDM) is a court-appointed neutral professional who helps separated parents resolve ongoing disputes about their children and, when the parents cannot agree, issues a binding ruling. The role combines two statutory functions: the parenting coordinator under C.R.S. § 14-10-128.1, who facilitates negotiation, and the decision maker under C.R.S. § 14-10-128.3, who can decide the dispute if negotiation fails. The same person usually fills both roles in a single case, which gives families one professional who knows them well enough to escalate from mediation to a decision without starting over.
What a PCDM Can Decide
A decision maker’s authority is tied to an existing court order about the children. The statute covers disputes about parenting time, specific parental decisions, and child support.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.3 – Appointment of Decision Maker – Disclosure That typically means the day-to-day friction points: holiday scheduling when the plan is vague, pick-up and drop-off logistics, extracurricular activities, school and camp choices, and short-term schedule changes for travel or family events.
The limit is important. A decision maker can only implement or clarify a pre-existing order in a way consistent with its original intent.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.3 – Appointment of Decision Maker – Disclosure A PCDM cannot change which parent has primary custody, reallocate parental responsibilities, or rewrite the parenting plan. Those are judicial decisions. The appointment order itself can also narrow the PCDM’s authority below what the statute allows, so the actual scope in your case is whatever that order says.
How a PCDM Gets Appointed
The two functions have different appointment rules, and the distinction catches many parents off guard.
A parenting coordinator can be appointed on the court’s own initiative, on a motion by either parent, or by agreement. If one parent objects, the court can still appoint a coordinator after finding that the parents have failed to adequately follow the existing parenting plan, that mediation is either inappropriate or has already been tried and failed, and that appointment serves the children’s best interests.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.1 – Appointment of Parenting Coordinator – Disclosure So the coordinator role can be imposed on an unwilling parent.
The decision maker role cannot. Appointment of a decision maker requires the written consent of both parents, with no exceptions.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.3 – Appointment of Decision Maker – Disclosure A judge cannot force binding decision-making authority on a parent who hasn’t agreed to it, because that authority replaces what a court would otherwise do.
Within seven days of appointment, the professional must disclose to both parties, their attorneys, and the court any family, financial, or social relationship they have or have had with the child, either parent, the attorneys, or the judge. Either parent then has seven days from that disclosure to object based on what was revealed.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.1 – Appointment of Parenting Coordinator – Disclosure If you want to raise a conflict issue, that early window is where to do it.
How Long the Appointment Lasts
An appointment order for either role cannot exceed two years. If the order doesn’t state a duration, it defaults to two years from the date of appointment.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.1 – Appointment of Parenting Coordinator – Disclosure Both parents can agree to extend it beyond the two-year mark if the arrangement is working.
What a PCDM Costs
PCDMs are private professionals who bill hourly, typically between $150 and $400 per hour depending on experience, credentials, and location. Most require a retainer upfront. The appointment order specifies how costs are divided. A 50-50 split is common, though a court can adjust the allocation based on income or other factors.
Actual costs track the level of conflict. Parents who resolve most issues through the coordination phase spend considerably less than those who push every disagreement to a binding ruling. Even at the high end, the PCDM process is normally cheaper and faster than litigating individual disputes, which is why courts favor the model for chronically high-conflict families.
How a Dispute Gets Resolved
A parent brings an issue to the PCDM, and the coordination phase begins. The professional facilitates a conversation between the parents by phone, email, or joint session and works to get both sides to an agreement on their own. No one is ordered to do anything during this stage.
If coordination doesn’t produce a resolution, the decision maker function engages. Before deciding anything, the decision maker’s procedures must be in writing and approved by both parents. If a parent won’t agree to the procedures, the decision maker can withdraw from the matter.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.3 – Appointment of Decision Maker – Disclosure Once procedures are in place, the decision maker may hold an informal hearing, interview the parents, and review documents. Formal courtroom rules of evidence don’t apply, which keeps the process quick.
The ruling must be in writing, dated, and signed. It takes effect the moment it is issued and remains in force until a decision maker modifies it or a judge enters a different order after a de novo hearing. The decision maker has twenty days to file the decision with the court and send it to both parties or their attorneys.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.3 – Appointment of Decision Maker – Disclosure Until a court overrides it, the ruling carries the force of a court order.
Objecting to a Ruling
If you disagree with a decision, you can file a motion asking the court to modify it through a de novo hearing. The deadline is thirty-five days from the date of the decision.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.3 – Appointment of Decision Maker – Disclosure Miss that window and the ruling stands. Filing a motion does not pause the ruling; it stays fully enforceable while the objection is pending.
A de novo hearing means the judge reviews the dispute fresh rather than checking for procedural errors in the PCDM’s process. There is a real financial risk to objecting without a strong basis. If the court holds the hearing and then substantially upholds the ruling, the parent who requested the hearing must pay the other parent’s attorney fees and costs, plus the decision maker’s fees and costs related to the hearing.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.3 – Appointment of Decision Maker – Disclosure That provision exists to discourage de novo motions used as a delay tactic.
Removing a PCDM
The first chance to remove a PCDM is the initial disclosure window: seven days after the professional discloses relationships with the parties, attorneys, or judge, either parent can object based on what the disclosure shows.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.1 – Appointment of Parenting Coordinator – Disclosure The court can terminate the appointment and name someone else.
Problems that come up later require a motion to the court. You generally need to show actual bias, improper conduct, or a conflict of interest that has arisen since appointment. Disagreeing with a ruling, by itself, is not grounds for removal, and refusing to cooperate with the PCDM is not an option. Both parents can also agree to end the appointment at any time by stipulation, and the court can extend, modify, or terminate the appointment on its own.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.1 – Appointment of Parenting Coordinator – Disclosure
Qualifications of the Professional
The statute describes a parenting coordinator as “a neutral person with appropriate training and qualifications and an independent perspective acceptable to the court,” without listing specific credentials.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.1 – Appointment of Parenting Coordinator – Disclosure Chief Justice Directive 08-01 sets more detailed expectations: new decision makers should complete 60 hours of training before accepting appointments, with a focus on family mediation and arbitration, and existing decision makers must complete at least 15 hours of continuing education in relevant areas every three years. Required knowledge areas include high-conflict divorce dynamics, child development, domestic violence, substance abuse, child abuse, interviewing techniques, and the Colorado Child Support Guidelines.3Colorado Judicial Branch. Chief Justice Directive 08-01 – Directive Concerning Court Appointments of Decision Makers The professional must also comply with any applicable ethical standards from their licensing board.
When Domestic Violence Is a Factor
Before appointing a parenting coordinator, the court must consider the effect of any claim or documented evidence of domestic violence on the parents’ ability to engage in the coordination process.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-128.1 – Appointment of Parenting Coordinator – Disclosure The process depends on both parents being able to negotiate without fear or coercion, which is not realistic in every case.
If domestic violence is a factor in your situation, raise it with the court before an appointment is entered. A judge needs that information to decide whether a PCDM is appropriate or whether additional protections should be built into the appointment order.