Parent coordinators have just been abolished in Pennsylvania. By an order dated April 23, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has adopted Rule 1915.11-1 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 1915.11-1 will become effective May 23, and it states that courts shall not appoint any other individual (excepting masters and hearing officers) to make decisions or recommendations or to alter a custody order in child custody cases. All orders appointing parent coordinators will become vacated on May 23.
In retrospect of the Superior Court’s recent decision in A.H. v. C.M., 2012 Pa. Super 277 (2012), perhaps this rule could be seen as a natural progression of the diminishment of parent coordinator authority that began with the court’s decision in Yates v. Yates, 2008 Pa. Super 296 (2008).
