Stipulations for Settlement-Focused Parenting Plan Consultation  (SFPPC) 

Summary of Process:
 

When married or unmarried parents separate or divorce, agreements must be 

reached regarding appropriate time-sharing plans for children, and decisions must 

be made as to the care and upbringing of the children.  These are frequently 

difficult and emotional issues for parents to sort out in the midst of their divorce.  Research has shown that mediated settlements to child custody disputes 

encourage both parents to remain in their children’s lives after divorce without 

increasing co-parenting conflict.  Allowing others to impose a ruling frequently 

never ends the conflict, and studies show that settlements negotiated by divorcing parents work better than those imposed upon them by the court. 

 

Settlement-Focused Parenting Plan Consultation (SFPPC) is a hybrid alternative 

dispute resolution model that blends the advantages of child custody evaluations, 

mediation, and collaborative practice. It is a confidential, voluntary procedure, 

which is mediative in nature and occurs outside of the court system. Dr. Sanders 

brings his expertise as a clinical child psychologist, forensic child custody 

evaluator and Rule 31 Listed Family Mediator approved by the Tennessee 

Supreme Court. The purpose of this program is to involve a child custody or 

parenting evaluation expert at the beginning of the process to offer solutions, 

rather than later in the process as often occurs during a traditional contested 

custody “dispute.”  The goal of these consultations is to avoid the acrimony, 

hostility and expense frequently associated with declarations, depositions, 

retention of adverse experts, and trial used in a traditional custody litigation 

process.

 

SFPPC assists parents, and their attorneys, in deciding upon appropriate time-

sharing plans for their children.  To achieve this goal, the consultant conducts a 

series of interviews with all family members and gathers additional information from reviewing records and interviews with collateral sources. The consultant then provides input and assistance to parents and their counsel in the following areas:
 

• A summary of the special, post-divorce needs of each child, based upon 

his/her developmental age and unique personality 

• Education related to enhancing a child’s adjustment to a divorce

• Assistance with conflict disengagement and improved co-parenting

• Assistance to parents in negotiating a parenting plan for their children 

 

SFPPC versus Parenting Evaluation: 

 

Parenting evaluations can yield a number of benefits to families.  They are 

especially helpful when the court needs information regarding the safety of 

children in various custody arrangements, such as in cases of physical or sexual 

abuse, domestic violence, or severe psychiatric dysfunction, parental substance 

abuse or suspected alienation.  However, parenting evaluations can sometimes 

produce unintended, counterproductive consequences, as when parents disregard 

or attack what they don’t like in a report or use it as a potential weapon in a 

custody battle.  Sometimes they add rather than alleviate tension and hard 

feelings.   
 

The biggest difference between the two procedures is that SFPPC is a form of 

mediation, and the information gathered during the process is confidential and 

utilized for settlement purposes.  The consultant, the parties and the attorneys can focus their efforts on designing a parenting plan in the child’s best interest without anxiety about the use of the information in litigation.  There is no report, and the only written document may be a parenting plan, which cannot be utilized in court if there is no agreement, but may be adopted as a court order if it is mutually agreeable to both parents.    In contrast, if a parenting evaluation report does not lead to a settlement, it may be utilized for litigation purposes, the evaluator’s records and data may be subpoenaed, and the evaluator may be called upon to testify in court regarding the information gathered during the process and recommendations. 

 

SFPPC cost less than half the price of a parenting evaluation and typically can be 

completed in 4 to 6 weeks, whereas a parenting evaluation typically takes a 

minimum of 10 to 12 weeks.

 

To initiate a SFPPC, please provide the following to Dr. Sanders at the above 

address: 

 

1.  Completed and signed Retainer Agreement

2.  Endorsed filed copy of the Stipulation and Order re: Parenting Plan 

Consultation.

3.  Retainer fee 

 

Informed Consent and Structure of the Consultation:

 

All members of the immediate family will be interviewed, including parents, 

children, and possibly stepparents.  Below are both standard procedures and 

optional procedures which may be utilized in conducting the consultation.

Standard Procedures:

 

1. Joint conference call with attorneys.  The purpose is to discuss the case, 

unless parents are self-represented. The attorneys and the consultant will agree 

upon the records/documents that will be provided to the consultant to review. 

Following the joint conference call with the attorneys, there will typically be no 

communication with the attorneys during the information gathering process (with 

the exception of scheduling the final feedback meeting).  (30 minutes)

 

2. Joint meeting with both parents.  The purpose is to decide upon consultation 

procedures, sign consent forms for collateral contacts, obtain brief marital history, 

discuss concerns about the children or other parents, and elicit input regarding 

possible parenting plans (1.5 hours).

 

3. Individual interviews with each parent.  Topics to be addressed include 

pertinent historical information, parent’s concerns about the children’s needs, 

assessment of parenting skills, concerns regarding co-parenting with the other 

parent, and exploration of parenting plan options (2 hours with each parent).

 

4. Individual interviews with the children.  The purpose of these meetings is: to 

assess children’s functioning in the context of the present divorce; to understand 

children’s  views of each parent’s parenting skills; to assess children’s sense of 

security with each parent; and, depending upon the age of the child, to indirectly 

explore parenting plan options (Parents alternate bringing the child for two - 1.5 

hour sessions). 

 

5. Review of Pertinent Records. These records can be provided by parents or 

their attorneys at the beginning of the consultation process or during the 

information gathering stage as agreed upon.  Copies of the records provided by a 

parent or his or her attorney should simultaneously be delivered by the parent or 

attorney to the other parent or attorney unless otherwise agreed.

 

6. Collateral Contacts.  These will typically be limited to teachers, child care 

providers or babysitters, and mental health professionals working with any family 

members.

 

7. Consultation/feedback meeting with attorneys and parents. The purpose is to 

present feedback to parents regarding how their children are handling the divorce, and to elucidate factors which will enhance their adjustment to the divorce in the future.  Parenting plan options will be presented with their advantages and 

disadvantages, and the consultant will assist parents and their counsel in 

mediating a settlement regarding a parenting plan, (2-3 hours).

 

8. Brief, written parenting plan.  Following the final meeting, the consultant will 

prepare a brief written parenting plan, unless the parents and attorneys opt to not have this document completed.  The brief written document will specify the 

parenting plan agreed upon in the feedback meeting, and if mutually agreeable to 

both parents, can be adopted as a court order.  In the absence of an agreement, 

the document will specify the consultant’s best parenting plan recommendation. A 

written document will be provided within one to two weeks after this final meeting.  A written parenting plan will only be completed upon the joint agreement of both 

parents, so that it is not used as a litigation tool.  

 

Optional Procedures:

 

Use of any of these optional procedures must be agreed upon by both parents in 

advance.

 

1. Home visit.

2. Psychological testing of parents or child, if requested and agreed upon by 

parents.  This may also include assessment of a possible learning disability 

or emotional problem.

3. Drug or alcohol abuse assessments, if there is supporting evidence of such a 

problem.

4. Follow-up consultation. 

 

Confidentiality and Privacy:  

 

SFPPC is considered mediation and as such is subject to privilege.  Thus, all 

communications, information from interviews and collateral contacts, psychological 

testing, negotiations, or settlement discussions by and between participants in the course of a parenting plan consultation shall remain confidential. The parents will also not be able to call the consultant as a witness in court proceedings.  Prior to commencement of the consultation, parents and attorneys will sign a stipulation that they agree to these confidentiality and privacy policies and submit the stipulation to the court for an order.  If the parents do not reach a settlement based on the parenting plan consultation and wish to pursue a court-ordered child 

custody evaluation, the consultant will not perform the child custody evaluation. No information from the parenting plan consultation will be disclosed to a third party, without written permission of both parents.

 

In addition, certain limitations to confidentiality will apply according to Tennessee 

State Law, in which the psychologist has a duty to report information concerning: a credible threat to harm self or others; and elder and/or child abuse, which includes sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect.  

 

Fee Schedule:

 

The cost for this service generally ranges from $4000 to $5000, depending upon 

the number of children, procedures utilized, etc.  A retainer is required, and 

services are charged against the retainer at a rate of $300 per hour.  This includes 

time spent in office interviews, telephone interviews with collateral contacts, 

document review, psychological test administration, scoring, or interpretation, 

home visits, and feedback meetings.  Any travel time is billed at a rate of $150.00 

per hour.  Prior to the initial interviews, the following retainer fees are to be 

advanced to the consultant in the form of a cashier’s check, money order, PayPal 

or credit card: 

 

Retainer fee for one child: $4000.00

Retainer fee for two children:  $4500.00

Retainer fee for three children:  $5000.00

Retainer fee for four children:  $5500.00

Fee for each stepparent/significant other:  $500.00 (add to retainer fee) 

 

Fees for optional services, including drug or alcohol testing fees, shall be paid by 

the parent(s) and allocated between them as agreed upon.  Please contact Dr. 

Sanders prior to submitting the retainer agreement if optional services will be 

utilized, so that an appropriate retainer for the optional services can be agreed 

upon.

 

Any additional fees not covered by the retainer will be billed and must be paid prior to the final consultation/feedback meeting.  If a brief written parenting plan is requested, the parents will be notified of the cost for the written plan, which must be paid prior to preparation of the written parenting plan.

 

Appointments or meetings must be canceled 24 hours in advance.  Cancellations 

less than 24 hours in advance will be billed to the person who failed to keep the 

appointment or meeting.

 

(Rates effective for cases beginning in January 2016)

 

Retainer Agreement Settlement-Focused Parenting Plan Consultation Conducted by Michael W. Sanders, PhD

 

We agree that: 

 

1.  We have received, read, understand, and agree to the Stipulations for the 

Parenting Plan Consultation process and the Informed Consent Regarding 

Parenting Plan process.  We have had sufficient opportunity to consult with 

counsel. 

 

2.  The Settlement-Focused Parenting Plan Consultation is a mediation 

process protected by privilege.  All communications, information from interviews 

and collateral contacts, psychological testing, negotiations, or settlement 

discussions by and between participants in the course of a parenting plan 

consultation shall remain confidential.  The consultant cannot be called as 

witness in any litigation.

 

I understand that certain limitations to confidentiality will apply according to 

Tennessee State Law, in which the psychologist has a duty to report information 

concerning: credible threats to harm self or others; elder and child abuse, which 

includes sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. 

 

3.  We agree that Settlement-Focused Parenting Plan Consultation fee of 

$_________ shall be paid _____ % by Father and ______% by Mother.  A retainer of $_____________ is enclosed.

 

4.  The following optional services shall be provided: _______________________

 

Fees for the optional services shall be paid _____ % by Father and ______% by 

Mother:

 

 

 

__________________________ ___________________________ ______   

Mother’s Name (print)                 Mother’s Signature                        Date  

 

 

Day phone:  ____________________   Evening phone:_____________________

 

 

Email:  ___________________________________________________

 

 

__________________________ _____________________________    _____

Father’s Name (print)                  Father’s Signature                               Date 

 

 

Day phone:  ___________________   Evening phone:______________________

 

 

email_________________________________________________________