Difference between revisions of "Parenting Coordination"

This chapter provides a brief introduction to parenting coordination, an overview of the process and links to some additional resources on parenting coordination.

Parenting coordinators are family law lawyers, mediators and arbitrators, counsellors, social workers and psychologists with special training in mediation, arbitration, parenting coordination, family violence, communication skills development and high-conflict family dynamics, as required by the [http://canlii.ca/t/8rdx Family Law Act Regulation]. Parenting coordinators are hired on a long term-basis, for renewable terms of between six months to two years.

Parenting coordination addresses how final orders and agreements about parental responsibilities, parenting time and contact are interpreted and implemented. Although parenting coordinators also have the authority to make minor, usually temporary, changes to those orders and agreements, parenting coordinators do not have the ability to make changes about important issues like guardianship or the allocation of parental responsibilities. Parenting coordinators can also deal with minor, often temporary, issues that aren't covered by an order or agreement, like:

*the child's need for counselling, therapy or tutoring, and

Parenting coordination usually does not deal with child support or children's special expenses, however if the parents and the parenting coordinator agree, the parenting coordinator may assist the parents with things like:

Parenting coordinators cannot assist with any subjects that expressly excluded by an order or a parenting coordination agreement. As well, parenting coordinators cannot deal with:

Parenting coordinators should not help with a person's entitlement to receive spousal support, problems with the payment of spousal support or changing an order or agreement about spousal support.

First, the parties and their parenting coordinator will sign a parenting coordination agreement that talks about the scope of the parenting coordinator's services and authority, how parenting problems will be addressed, and how the parties will manage the parenting coordinator's fees. (In general, the parenting coordinator's fees will be split equally between the parties, unless they agree otherwise or unless the parenting coordinator has a good reason to assign responsibility for a certain amount of fees to a particular person.) It is always helpful if the key terms of the parenting coordination agreement are set out in the order or agreement appointing the parenting coordinator, including:

Many parenting coordinators use the signing of their parenting coordination agreements as an opportunity to have the parties execute releases and authorizations allowing the parenting coordinator to speak to people like the children's doctors, counsellors and teachers. Under [http://www.canlii.org/en/bc/laws/stat/sbc-2011-c-25/latest/part-3/sbc-2011-c-25-part-3.html#section16 s. 16] of the ''[[Family Law Act]]'',

Some parenting coordinator's will also ask for an additional retainer, called a deposit. This money is held in reserve to enable the parenting coordinator to finish dealing with a problem in the event that a party's retainer runs out in the middle of a dispute and the party refuses to replenish his or her retainer.

Next, the parenting coordinator will meet separately with each party to explain the parenting coordination process in more depth and take a detailed history of the parties' relationship and proceedings in court. Depending on the age of the children, the parenting coordinator may also want to meet the children as well.

*meet with the parties separately or together about the issue;

*interview the children to get their input on the issue;

*speak to the children's counsellors, doctors, teachers, instructors or coaches; and,

==Page resources and links ==