Parenting Coordinator in Illinois: Role, Cost, and When Courts Appoint One
What a Parenting Coordinator Does
A parenting coordinator (PC) is a licensed mental health or family law professional appointed by the court under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 909 and applicable local rules to help high-conflict parents implement their existing parenting plan. The key word is implement — a PC doesn't create the plan or decide who gets more parenting time. They help resolve the day-to-day disputes that flare up after the plan is already in place.
Typical issues a PC handles:
- Schedule conflicts when both parents claim the same holiday or vacation block
- Disagreements about which extracurricular activities the child can participate in
- Transportation logistics for parenting exchanges
- Communication breakdowns between parents who can't discuss scheduling without escalating
- Interpreting ambiguous language in the parenting plan (what counts as "evening" for a phone call window, for example)
The PC is not acting as the child's therapist or as a judge. Rule 909 also authorizes a PC to mediate assigned disputes and make recommendations, so the role is more directive than ordinary mediation but does not replace the court.
How Appointment Works
Illinois Supreme Court Rule 909 provides a statewide framework, but each judicial circuit may adopt local parenting-coordination rules. Following entry of a parenting plan (or before entry if the court approves it), a court may appoint a PC when it is in the child's best interests, including when:
- Parents have repeatedly returned to court over minor implementation disputes
- A GAL or the judge identifies a pattern of conflict that's disrupting the child's stability
- Both parents consent to the appointment, or one parent requests it and the judge agrees
- Mediation has not been successful or the court determines it is inappropriate (e.g., domestic violence history)
The court order appointing a PC defines their specific authority. Under Rule 909, a PC makes written recommendations on assigned minor issues — such as exchanges, holidays, activities, or discipline — and the coparents must comply unless and until the court reviews the recommendation. The PC may not recommend the allocation of decision-making responsibilities, an initial allocation of parenting time, parenting-time changes beyond minor alterations, relocation, or child support.
How It Differs from a GAL or Mediator
The roles overlap enough that parents frequently confuse them. The differences matter because each operates under different rules:
A mediator facilitates discussion. They don't make decisions. Mediation is confidential under applicable rules, and an impasse does not give the mediator authority to decide the issue.
A Guardian ad Litem (GAL) investigates and recommends. They interview parents, children, teachers, and therapists, then submit a written report to the judge with specific recommendations about decision-making and parenting time. A GAL is appointed for the big-picture allocation — who gets what responsibilities and how much parenting time.
A parenting coordinator helps resolve implementation disputes within an existing plan by making recommendations on specific operational conflicts. The court retains review authority. Their involvement is ongoing — they stay on the case for months or years, handling issues as they come up rather than producing a one-time report.
Think of it this way: the GAL investigates and makes recommendations about the plan. The mediator tries to get both parents to agree on the plan. The PC helps the plan actually work after it's signed.
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What It Costs
Parenting coordinators typically charge hourly rates similar to therapists or family law attorneys in their area — $150 to $350 per hour is common in the Chicago metro area. The court order specifies how costs are split, considering the parents' financial resources, or the parents may agree in writing with the parenting coordinator.
Some courts cap the total hours a PC can bill per month without prior approval. Others leave it open-ended. Parents with well-drafted parenting plans that minimize ambiguity tend to use fewer PC hours because there are fewer gaps to interpret.
When a PC Makes Sense
Not every custody case needs a parenting coordinator. The appointment is most useful when:
- Both parents are willing to follow the parenting plan but genuinely can't communicate well enough to handle routine changes
- The conflict is about logistics, not safety — if there are allegations of abuse or neglect, a GAL or the court needs to be involved directly
- The child is old enough that scheduling complexity increases (multiple activities, school commitments, social calendars)
- Parents have already spent significant money returning to court over minor disputes and need a less expensive resolution pathway
If your parenting plan is detailed enough — specific pickup times, defined holiday rotations, clear right-of-first-refusal triggers, and a built-in dispute resolution clause — you may never need a PC at all. The upfront work of building a thorough plan pays for itself by eliminating the ambiguities that generate conflict.
Our Illinois Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide walks through each of the 15 mandatory provisions with enough specificity to close the gaps that most commonly land parents in a coordinator's office.
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