SFPPC is an evaluative mediation process and while equivalent to a child custody assessment, it is an alternative. It is conducted by parenting plan consultant (PPC) who has the combined experience of a mediator and child custody assessor. This is a hybrid model that is more expedient and less expensive than a child custody assessment, while also preserving the mediation principles of self-determination. SFPPC is distinguished from a “mediative assessment”, where an assessor conducts a comprehensive assessment and then assists the parties to mediate a resolution. In a SFPPC, the traditional facilitative and interests-based mediation, with an emphasis on self-determination and confidentiality, is combined with an evaluative process that provides parents with expertly gathered information that may be used in creating a parenting plan that meets the children’s best interest. The SFPPC typically costs about half of what a child custody assessment typically costs and can be completed in 4 to 6 weeks, a much shorter time that it takes for most assessments to be completed.