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Pennsylvania Family Law And Estate Planning Blog

John Schaffranek & Tyler Foster

What Happens When Parents Disagree on Major Decisions for Their Children?

On Behalf of Schaffranek & Foster

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April 27, 2026

| Custody And Visitation

Often, parents share both legal and physical custody in Pennsylvania. Legal custody refers to decision-making authority for primary parenting concerns. If you and your ex are unable to come to a mutually agreeable decision regarding one or more of these big picture matters, options are available. Our dedicated Allegheny County child custody attorneys at Schaffranek & Foster have the experience and legal insight to help.

Part of being a parent is making round-the-clock decisions on behalf of our children. The parent who is responsible for the children at any given time is also responsible for making all the everyday decisions that arise. 

Legal custody is one aspect of child custody that addresses primary parenting decisions like the following:

  • Where your children attend school or daycare
  • The medical care your children receive
  • The extracurricular activities and travel your children participate in

It’s important to note that one parent may be granted sole decision making authority for all or some legal custody matters.

Co-Parenting Counselor

When parents face an obstacle in relation to making an important parenting decision, co-parenting counseling can help. The professional co-parenting counselor generally works separately with each parent and with both parents together to help them find better ways to communicate clearly. This often helps parents focus on coming together for the children’s sake, which can make a big difference.

A co-parenting counselor can also help you address a specific issue head-on. By breaking down the issue into manageable parts and helping you both navigate the challenging legal and emotional terrain, the co-parenting counselor could help you find middle ground.  A co-parenting counselor can only help parents arrive at decisions themselves and cannot make decisions that parents are unable or unwilling to make.

Parent Coordinator

For parents who run into routine snags regarding decision-making, a parenting coordinator may be appointed. While major parenting decisions are outside the scope of their work, parent coordinators can help those struggling with effective co-parenting gain a greater perspective.  Unlike a co-parenting counselor, a parenting coordinator has authority to decide issues submitted to them for decision.

The Court’s Intervention

If you and your children’s other parent have reached an impasse regarding a major parenting decision, you can seek the court’s intervention. A prime example is parents who disagree on the key matter of medical care for their children.

If you have reached the point that no amount of guidance is going to make a difference, filing a petition for special relief with the court may be advised. And consulting with a trusted child custody lawyer is an important early step.

Reach Out to an Experienced Allegheny County Child Custody Lawyer Today

The seasoned Allegheny County child custody attorneys at Schaffranek & Foster have reserves of experience helping valued clients like you successfully resolve important parenting decisions outside of court and effectively address even more challenging decisions in court. Regardless of your unique situation, we welcome the opportunity to help. Learn more by contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 412-643-3848 today.