Tools for Bismarck Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Bismarck families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

If you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator for families in Bismarck, you already know the pattern: two parents, one child, and a record of what happened that lives in two different phones. FamilyCourtHelp.com gives the parents you work with one organized place for co-parent messages, schedules, parenting plans, expenses, and records, so the time they spend with you, and in front of the Burleigh County District Court, goes to the children instead of the screenshots.

North Dakota uses its own words, "parental rights and responsibilities" where many states say custody and "parenting time" where they say visitation, and the tools follow North Dakota's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Burleigh County.

Court for custody cases: Burleigh County District Court (South Central Judicial District).

Appointed for the child: Parenting investigator.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge (Family Law Mediation Program).

Parenting class: Required statewide.

State family law: North Dakota Century Code Title 14 - Domestic Relations.

What North Dakota calls custody: parental rights and responsibilities.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For parenting investigators and guardians ad litem in Bismarck

In North Dakota, the court can appoint a parenting investigator in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

Nothing here opens a family's account to you on its own. When a parent wants you in, they send a single-use invitation into the co-parent conversation; you join with your own free account, see the full thread and the shared calendar's change requests, and can post. They can also share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on.

The invitation a parent sends is labeled Guardian ad Litem, the title most states use. It works the same if you serve as a parenting investigator in Bismarck.

For therapists and counselors in Bismarck

Court-involved therapists, reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Bismarck get no seat in the conversation and no access to accounts. Parents keep their own time-stamped record and decide what to show you, which keeps your role clear. For co-parenting work, the Tone Meter in the free messenger shows a parent how a message will land and offers a calmer version before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Bismarck

In North Dakota, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. The court program is the Family Law Mediation Program. The details are in the FAQ below.

Parents can bring you in before the first meeting in Bismarck: a single-use link adds you to the co-parent conversation, and a shared parenting plan lets you read the draft and comment on it. After the session, what was agreed stays in writing in the thread, and schedule changes run through the shared calendar's request and approval record.

Family court in Bismarck: what to know

Custody cases in Bismarck are heard in the Burleigh County District Court.

If you searched for a parenting investigator, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Bismarck, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Bismarck: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Burleigh: North Dakota Legal Self Help Center, (701) 328-1852. Free information, forms, and guidance by phone or email for people handling a civil court case without a lawyer.

Burleigh legal aid: Legal Services of North Dakota, (800) 634-5263.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Bismarck?

Parenting and divorce cases in Burleigh County are heard in District Court, part of the South Central Judicial District, at the Burleigh County courthouse in Bismarck.

Where can parents in Bismarck get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: North Dakota Legal Self Help Center. Free legal aid: Legal Services of North Dakota. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Bismarck?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a parenting investigator do in a Bismarck custody case?

Before trial, a North Dakota court may order a parenting investigation, where a neutral parenting investigator looks into the family and gives the judge a report with recommendations. A judge may also appoint a guardian ad litem, a lawyer who represents the child's best interests. You may also see "guardian ad litem". The rule is in N.D.R.Ct. 8.6. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in North Dakota?

Soon after a contested parenting case is filed and served, it may be referred to the court's Family Law Mediation Program, which offers parents a set amount of orientation and mediation at no cost.

Do parents in North Dakota have to take a parenting class?

In contested parenting cases, the court's scheduling order sets a date by which both parents must finish parent education.