By Andrew Johnson

We all know the scenario: Mommy and Daddy are divorced, not on speaking terms, more like shouting terms, yet decisions still need to be made about young Billy. How to facilitate them? Better call in a parent consultant.

A what?

Parent consultants, who are often attorneys, are trained to help divorced parents in high-conflict situations make child-focused decisions regarding parenting time, custody and educational issues. Along with keeping children out of court and conflict out of the home, parenting consultants provide significant time and cost benefits to those who use them. Without a parenting consultant, a simple day-to-day parenting decision would require filing a court motion, costing parents months of time and thousands of dollars before a decision is finally reached.

Parenting consultants can resolve those issues within a week or two and cost the parties just a few hours of the consultant's time, says 25-year family law attorney Kathleen Newman of Kathleen M. Newman + Associates. In some instances, emergency situations can be discussed via conference calls or e-mails and have resolution within 24 hours.

"Many people find making their own decisions is better than what a judge can do in the short period of time they have to devote to the case," says Newman.

Parenting consultants have been used significantly more over the last few years as the number of joint custody decisions has increased, Newman says.

"Courts don't have the time or inclination to deal with these joint custody decisions after the divorce," she says. "If the parties can't make a decision on their own, somebody has to be the tie-breaker."

Parenting consultants are typically appointed to two-year terms with families. But as they work to resolve parenting issues, consultants also work to provide parents with effective communication skills so their need for a consultant diminishes over time.

"The amount divorce impacts children is largely measured by how well parents can make decisions together and shield the children from conflict," Newman says. "Parents need to learn those skills, and lawyers can help teach them."

As parenting consultants save time, money and stress for families, they do the same for the judicial system by cleaning out the congestion on family court dockets.

"Every decision a parenting consultant makes is one less decision that clogs up the court system," Newman says.