Parenting Consultants and Parenting Time Expeditors

Last reviewed November 3, 2026

Parenting consultants and parenting time expeditors in Minnesota are neutral professionals who help parents resolve ongoing disputes without returning to court each time. An expeditor is a statutory role under Minn. Stat. § 518.1751. A parenting consultant, by contrast, is usually appointed by agreement of the parents, with authority defined in a stipulated court order. This page compares the two roles and explains how each is appointed, what each may decide, and how decisions are reviewed. It is part of the site’s guide to court and ADR processes in Minnesota.

Why These Roles Exist

Many parenting disputes are small but urgent. Examples include a holiday exchange time, a summer camp week, or a missed weekend. A motion hearing for each disagreement is slow and costly. A neutral with authority to decide such issues quickly can reduce conflict and expense. The court process for contested motions is described on the site’s motion hearing page.

Parenting Time Expeditors

Appointment

Either parent may ask the court to appoint an expeditor. The parents may also stipulate to one, or the judge may act without a request. The appointment can occur while a case is pending or after a decree (§ 518.1751, subd. 1). Parents may agree on a person, or a team of two, without a court appearance by submitting a written agreement. If they cannot agree, each parent proposes names from the court’s roster, and the court selects if needed (subd. 2).

Scope of Authority

An expeditor resolves parenting time disputes. That includes enforcing, interpreting, and clarifying an existing order, and addressing situations the order did not anticipate (subd. 1b(a)). An expeditor may also decide whether the order was violated and may award compensatory parenting time (subd. 3(b)).

The Mediation-Arbitration Process

Expeditors use a hybrid of mediation and arbitration. Negotiation comes first, and a binding ruling follows only if negotiation fails (subd. 1b(c)). The statute keeps both stages short. A meeting, in person or separately, is due within five days after the expeditor learns of the dispute. When no agreement results, the ruling is due no later than five days after the final meeting and receipt of all needed information (subd. 3(a)–(b)).

Exceptions

Referral to an expeditor is not mandatory in three situations: a claim by one parent of domestic abuse by the other; a court finding of probable cause that a parent or child was physically abused or threatened; or a parent’s inability to pay (subd. 1a). Fees are apportioned between the parties as the court finds just and equitable (subd. 2a).

Binding Effect and Review

Unless the parents agree otherwise, an expeditor may not issue a decision that conflicts with the existing order. An expeditor may, however, interpret or clarify it. For instance, the expeditor may set a specific schedule when the order grants only “reasonable parenting time” (subd. 3(c)).

The expeditor’s decision must be in writing. It binds the parties unless the court vacates or modifies it. If a parent does not comply, the other parent may bring a motion, and the court may enforce, modify, or vacate the decision (subd. 3(d)). Statements made during the process are generally confidential and inadmissible (subd. 4a).

Parenting Consultants

A parenting consultant, sometimes called a parenting coordinator, usually has a broader role. Minnesota statutes do not set out a detailed procedure for this role, although the expeditor statute expressly allows parents to submit disputes voluntarily to another neutral (§ 518.1751, subd. 4). Thus, the consultant’s authority comes from a stipulation of the parents that the court adopts as an order.

That order typically defines:

• the issues the consultant may decide, such as schedules, exchanges, activities, and communication rules;
• whether decisions are binding and how they may be challenged;
• the consultant’s term and how the consultant may be removed; and
• how fees are shared and paid.

The parenting time statute recognizes these neutrals. “Court-ordered parenting time” includes an order by a parenting time consultant, parenting coordinator, special master, or other authorized court-appointed person (Minn. Stat. § 518.175, subd. 6(b)(2)). As a result, interference with a consultant’s decision can trigger the same remedies as interference with a judge’s order. See Interference with Parenting Time.

Comparing the Two Roles

Feature	Parenting time expeditor	Parenting consultant
Source of authority	Statute (§ 518.1751)	Stipulated court order
Typical scope	Parenting time disputes	Defined by the order; often broader
Process	Mediation, then a decision	Set by the order
Timelines	Five-day statutory periods	Set by the order
Appointment	Request, stipulation, or court’s own motion	Usually by agreement

Limits on Authority

Neither role replaces the court on major issues. An expeditor’s role is limited to parenting time disputes. Similarly, the court’s self-help form for parenting time motions may not be used to request a custody change (§ 518.175, subd. 1(f)). Likewise, a change that would substantially alter custody must meet the custody modification standard. The Minnesota Supreme Court applied that rule to parenting time changes in Christensen v. Healey, 913 N.W.2d 437 (Minn. 2018). See Child Custody Modification.

How These Roles Differ from Other Neutrals

Expeditors and consultants work on ongoing disputes after a parenting schedule exists. Other neutrals serve different functions:

• a mediator helps parties reach agreement but does not decide;
• an early neutral evaluator offers an assessment of the likely outcome early in a case; and
• a guardian ad litem advocates for the child’s best interests.

The court rules on alternative dispute resolution are found in Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 114 and Rule 310.

Practical Considerations

1. Define the scope precisely. Vague appointment orders lead to disputes about what the neutral may decide.
2. Address fees in advance. State each parent’s share and when payment is due.
3. Keep communications in writing. Written submissions help the neutral decide quickly.
4. Follow decisions while any challenge is pending. Ignoring a decision may be treated as interference.