Co-Parent Like a Pro

＂The truth is, the way we choose to co-parent will shape our children’s healing and their ability to navigate relationships in the future. For any parent facing this journey, this book is a powerful reminder that our children’s hearts deserve the greatest care, even when our own are breaking.＂--JAIME KING, mother, filmmaker, activist

＂I will be recommending this book to many of my consultation clients.＂--BILL EDDY, LCSW, JD, family therapist, lawyer, mediator, and co-author of BIFF for CoParent Communication, developer of the New Ways for Families(R) parent skills
training method, and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute.

In Co-parenting by Design, family law experts Annette Burns and Nicole Siqueiros-Stoutner help divorced or separated parents agree on a plan that reduces conflict over the parenting schedule, holidays, vacations, medical decisions, education, and safety, and equips readers to deal with special situations like parental alienation and substance abuse.

It’s stressful to be a divorced or separated parent. You may feel that you’re constantly being scrutinized by your co-parent and by the court system. You are expected to be superhuman: to forgive and forget, to be endlessly patient, to be a perfect parent, and to be calm and gracious no matter what. If you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone.

In Co-parenting by Design, Annette Burns and Nicole Siqueiros-Stoutner offer their combined sixty-plus years of experience in family law to help you let go of these unrealistic expectations and successfully navigate the challenges of parenting after divorce or separation. With customizable sample language you can incorporate in your own document, this book makes it easy to draw up a thorough and effective parenting plan or evaluate a plan provided by a parenting coordinator or other court official.

You’ll learn how to:

• come to an agreement about the parenting schedule, holidays, and vacations

• address medical decisions, education, safety, your child’s possessions, and more

• deal with challenging situations like parental alienation, domestic violence, or your co-parent’s substance abuse

• disengage from conflict

• communicate effectively

• reduce stress

• increase your child’s sense of security by conveying solidarity

• protect your child’s well-being

With a complete parenting plan in place, you’ll be prepared manage everyday routines and handle the unexpected. Co-parenting by Design helps you overcome conflict and get back to what matters most: enjoying stress-free time with your child.

Annette Burns, JD, is an attorney and a certified Family Law Specialist and Parenting Coordinator, practicing in Arizona. She is a past president of the international interdisciplinary organization the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), www.afccnet.org, a nonprofit organization of over 5000 international family law related professionals. She has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), a national organization composed of the nation’s top attorneys (www.aaml.org) since 2001. She has been named a SuperLawyer every year from 2007-2020 and one of Superlawyers’ Arizona’s Top Female Attorneys in 2013, 2014 and 2019. Her private practice in Arizona focuses on family law. Annette lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Nicole Siqueiros-Stoutner is a family law attorney, mediator, and court-appointed parenting coordinator. She has worked with Child Protective Services and a domestic violence shelter before transitioning to legal practice. After managing a non-profit organization’s legal department, she immersed herself in family law as an associate attorney and later as a partner in a Phoenix, Arizona firm. As a judge pro tem and trained Parenting Coordinator, Nicole serves the legal community by facilitating Alternative Dispute Resolution conferences and conducting private mediations. Her tenure as a judicial officer in the Maricopa County Superior Court and a participant on the Maricopa County Superior Court Mental Health Roster, Nicole is an effective advocate. Recognized for her contributions to the legal community, Nicole has received awards and invitations to teach family law courses at local institutions.