On April 23, 2013, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania adopted Rule 1915.11-1 which formally ends the ability to appoint a Parent Coordinator in Pennsylvania Custody Cases. The rule will go into effect on May 23, 2013.
A parent coordinator was allowed to make minor decisions to attempt to keep the parties out of court and to help with more pressing issues faster than the court system would normally allow. The parent coordinator program had issues from the beginning. Many attorneys believed that the program gave judicial power to an attorney. Clients of mine that were appointed parent coordinators did not feel as if the process helped them at all. Instead, I would get reports that the parent coordinator would not listen to my clients side of the story, or they made a decision without all of the facts. Some other reports I received stated that the client felt like they were in the dark because the parent coordinator would speak to the parents separately and then make a decision. Neither parent had any idea what the other was telling the parent coordinator, nor were they able to ensure that the parent coordinator knew both sides of the story.
It does not seem as if this program will be missed by most of the practicing attorneys and their clients in Pennsylvania.