Bill > HF2937

This bill regulates the use of parenting consultants in family court cases by establishing clear guidelines and limitations for their role. The bill defines a parenting consultant as a neutral third party hired by parties to resolve parenting time disputes and requires that such consultants meet specific professional qualifications, either as a parenting time expeditor or a marriage and family therapist. The parenting consultant's role is explicitly limited to assisting and guiding parties in implementing custody and parenting time court orders, with a specific prohibition against modifying custody orders or changing parenting time percentages. The bill also provides a mechanism for discharging a parenting consultant, allowing either party to do so by providing written notice to the consultant and the court, and enabling the court to discharge a consultant if they are not serving the child's best interests. Importantly, the bill stipulates that parenting consultants' decisions are not binding on the parties or the court, and any evidence, evaluations, or recommendations made by a parenting consultant are inadmissible in court proceedings. This approach aims to provide a flexible, non-binding dispute resolution mechanism while protecting the court's ultimate authority in making decisions about child custody and parenting time.

Justice

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF2937&ssn=0&y=2025