Understanding
Parenting
Coordination

Parenting Coordination is one of the fastest growing areas of law, working with high-conflict separated parents to minimize every-day conflict, protect children and build effective systems to adhere to court orders and implement parenting agreements. Now regularly mandated by courts, Parenting Coordination is quickly becoming an integral part of Family Law. Parenting Coordinators (PCs) are specially trained practitioners who assist parents to adopt a child-first focus and coach parents in conflict management and communication. Through education, dispute resolution and case management parents are assisted to implement their parenting orders or agreements in way that enables them to move on with their lives while promoting the best possible outcomes for their children.

How Can A Parenting Coordinator Help?

Parenting Coordinators understand that implementing a parenting plan after a divorce or separation can be difficult.

Parental conflict and communication barriers most likely still exist and can undermine the success of parenting orders and agreements. Shared parenting will be a new concept to most parents and requires significant readjustment for application in day-to-day life. More often than not, conflict surrounding this adjustment appears around everyday agreements like drop-off times, change-over locations or timesharing schedules rather than any big, life-altering issues.

A parenting coordinator will help you and your co-parent navigate the everyday decisions needed to implement your parenting orders or agreements.

Ultimately, PCs teach separated parents how to take the conflict out of their communication and out of the daily decision making required in order to implement their parenting orders and agreements in a way that is healthiest for their children and avoids the need to go back to court for enforcement.

A Parenting Coordinator will deliver education, coaching, dispute resolution and case management in a program designed for each family.

Separated parents who are having difficulty with the day to day implementation of their parenting orders or agreements will benefit from different modes of intervention. Your Parenting Coordinator will assess what is right for you, your coparent and your children, and will design a program of education, coaching, dispute resolution and case management, especially for you.

Parenting Coordination
Benefits Children By:

  • Enhancing the child’s confidence and self-esteem.
  • Increasing the likelihood of keeping two active parents in the child’s life.
  • Reducing the child’s symptoms of stress as parental conflict decreases.
  • Diminishing the child’s sense of loyalty binds.
  • Creating a more relaxed home atmosphere, allowing the child to adjust more effectively.

Benefits Parents By:

  • Educating parents on the impact of parental conflict on their child’s development.
  • Working with parents in developing a detailed parenting plan.
  • Teaching parents anger management, communication and conflict resolution skills, and children’s issues during divorce.

Benefits Family By:

  • Reducing the number of litigated cases.
  • Communicating to parents that children come first.
  • Providing prompt resolution to daily child-rearing issues.
  • Monitoring parental compliance with court orders (if any).
  • Reducing overall conflict experienced by the entire family; protecting the most defenceless victims of high conflict parenting: the children.

Engaging a Parenting Coordinator

Engagement

You can engage a parenting coordinator either by agreement or by a court order. The first step is usually to choose your PC. If you have a lawyer they can advise you about how best to appoint your PC. If you don’t have a lawyer, ask your chosen PC.

Finances

Parents usually share the cost of all communications with the PC equally. Parties will negotiate fees with their Parenting Coordinator.

Communication

Either parent can contact the PC with a concern or difficulty, and the PC will communicate with the other parent about these issues in a attempt to reach a timely

Process

You will usually meet your PC once a month, in person or electronically, jointly or separately depending on your need. The PC will design the content of those sessions around the needs of your family.

Parenting Coordinators

Parents

Professionals