If you have children, your Separation Agreement will include a “Parenting Plan” that sets out details of the parenting schedule and parenting responsibilities. We make your Parenting Plan as detailed as possible, but sometimes, conflict may arise with the enforcement and/or interpretation of the terms of a Parenting Plan. When faced with conflict, parents often bring the matter back to Court for resolution - but this process is time consuming and expensive.
Rather than running to Court to resolve the issue, there is another way to resolve parenting disputes: that is, retaining a “parenting coordinator'“.
Parenting coordinators cannot decide which parent will have decision-making responsibility (formerly “custody”) or primary residence of a child, or whether a child should be permitted to move to a different location. These decisions rest with the Court. Rather, the focus of a parenting coordinator is to help parents implement the terms of the parenting plan in a child-focused an expeditious manner. That is, a parenting coordinator is a neutral third party to whom parents can turn when there is a dispute about the Parenting Plan. A parenting coordinator may, for example, settle a dispute about a child’s birthday party or school play. He or she may also temporarily change a parenting plan (for example in order to accommodate a parent’s work hours) and enforce parenting schedule orders.
If the parenting coordinator cannot assist the parents in resolving their disagreement, he or she may be empowered to act as an arbitrator to impose a solution, and the parenting coordinator’s decision will be binding (subject to appeal).
There are functions of parenting coordination that are unique. The parenting coordinator provides education, guidance, and case management.
Because litigation can be timing consuming and expensive, a parenting coordinator is an alternative way to resolve your dispute in a more expeditious manner.