What Happened Since the Prior CMC
An evidentiary hearing was held February 10, 2026. Judge Hartwell granted Father's Motion to Implement Interim GAL Recommendations, and two orders were entered. The first set a new 5-2 timesharing schedule effective February 10: Father has Monday and Tuesday every week, Mother has Wednesday through Friday every week, and the weekends alternate. The second ordered the children back into individual therapy at Bright Path Counseling.
The court also referred the parties to Family Court Services, with three business days to make contact. Mother was ordered to continue her own individual therapy. Talking Parents became the mandatory, exclusive communication platform for both parents. Neither parent is permitted to use corporal punishment. Separately, court-ordered mediation on December 18, 2025 ended without an agreement.
The Problem at That Hearing
As of April 16, you had heard nothing from either party since the February 10 orders were entered, and could not confirm compliance with a single provision — no therapy confirmation, no FCS contact confirmation, no Talking Parents confirmation, nothing.
What You Asked the Court for Then
You asked Judge Hartwell to inquire of both parties on the record about compliance with each February 10 provision (timesharing implementation, Bright Path Counseling, FCS contact, Mother's individual therapy, Talking Parents registration, and the no-corporal-punishment order). You asked the court to order both parties to contact you within 5 days. You noted Monica's pro se status (her prior counsel withdrew in January 2026). And you raised the fee issue directly: $2,595 outstanding, both operating accounts at $0.00, and you asked the court to order replenishment as a condition of your continued appointment.
Fees as of April 16, 2026: Daniel owed $1,410.00 (last deposit December 19, 2025); Monica owed $1,185.00 (last deposit November 17, 2025). Total outstanding: $2,595.00. Both have since paid down meaningfully different amounts — see the Payment Timeline tile for where things stand today.
CMC Housekeeping Raised That Day
You flagged the status of Monica's Motion to Strike the GAL Report (filed January 7, 2026) as unresolved — it was unclear from the February 10 hearing whether it had been disposed of. You confirmed whether financial affidavits, the certificate of compliance with mandatory disclosure, parenting course certificates, and child support guidelines worksheets had been filed. Calendars were brought for the court to set pretrial and trial dates, and you were prepared to estimate final hearing time in hours — that's ultimately how March 30, 2027 got set as the trial date.
Investigation Status as of April 16
Completed to that point: GAL intake interviews with both parents, individual child interviews with Child A and Child B in late November 2025, school collateral from the school principal, an interview with the paternal grandmother, an interim report filed December 17, 2025, and attendance at the February 10 evidentiary hearing. Still outstanding at that time: home visits at either residence, contact with Mother's individual therapist, contact with the children's therapist post-order, any Family Court Services contact or compliance information, review of school attendance records, any follow-up child interviews since late November, and review of Talking Parents communications.
Why This Matters Today
Nearly every item that was outstanding on April 16 is still outstanding now, six months later. That continuity is useful at today's hearing — it shows this isn't a new problem, it's the same unresolved compliance and investigation gap that has persisted since February, now compounded by Monica's continued non-payment. The children's disclosures from late November 2025 — reports of yelling and physical discipline by Mother, including a historical belt incident described by Child A — are part of why the investigation needs to resume promptly once fees are addressed.