Finding peace with a co-parent can feel impossible when every exchange turns into conflict. For some families, this conflict is not just about disagreement, but about power imbalances, fear, or long-standing patterns that make direct communication unproductive or feel unsafe. When communication breaks down, whether due to high conflict patterns, coercive dynamics, past trauma or more, families often need structured, neutral support to restore stability and move forward.

Parenting Coordination can support situations where direct communication between parents feels unsafe or unproductive, by providing structured boundaries and a neutral point of contact.

With commitment from both sides and the right support in place, calmer co-parenting is possible.

IS PARENTING COORDINATION RIGHT FOR YOU?

Parenting Coordination may be helpful if:

• communication with your co-parent feels strained, overwhelming, or unproductive,

• there is a history of conflict, power imbalance, control, or fear in the co-parenting relationship,

• disagreements repeatedly escalate toward court involvement or the threat thereof,

• you want support implementing parenting arrangements without direct conflict, or

• you want help protecting your children from ongoing tensions.

Parenting Coordination is not about taking sides. It is about creating safer structures, reducing unhealthy dynamics, and supporting children and parents in moving forward.

WHAT IS PARENTING COORDINATION (PC)?

Parenting Coordination is an alternative dispute-resolution process designed to help parents carry out the terms of their parenting plan, separation agreement, or court order.

A neutral professional: the Parent Coordinator, supports co-parents by clarifying how agreements are meant to be applied in real life, resolving disputes, and reducing ongoing conflict. Parenting Coordination draws on structured dispute-resolution processes while being informed by therapeutic knowledge of family dynamics and conflict patterns.

While agreements outline decision-making authority, they rarely account for the emotional, relational, or communication dynamics that can make implementation challenging. Parenting Coordination helps bridge that gap in a structured, contained way.

HOW DOES PARENTING COORDINATION WORK?

Parenting Coordination supports a parallel-parenting approach by adding structure, clarity, and boundaries to the co-parenting relationship.

Rather than requiring parents to communicate directly with one another, which may increase conflict or escalate to court, issues are brought to the Parent Coordinator. The Parent Coordinator becomes a central point of contact, reducing direct interaction between parents while still ensuring decisions can be made.

Depending on the authority granted in the appointment order or agreement, the Parent Coordinator may:

• provide education and clarification,

• assist parents in mediating disputes,

• make recommendations, or

• issue determinations, where permitted, to allow life to move forward without returning to court.

Example:
A separation agreement may state that one parent makes decisions about education and the other about health. If a teacher recommends an ADHD assessment, parents may disagree about whether this falls under education or health. A Parent Coordinator can help resolve the issue - and if agreement isn’t possible and the appointment allows - review information and issue a determination within the scope of their authority, so the child’s needs are not stalled by conflict.

WHY IS PARENTING COORDINATION IMPORTANT?

High-conflict and high-risk co-parenting situations can have significant impacts on children. Even when both parents care deeply, unresolved conflict, fear, or coercive dynamics can create chronic stress within the family system.

Parenting Coordination can provide an added layer of structure, containment, and oversight. By limiting direct conflict, setting clear boundaries, and creating predictable pathways for decision-making, PC can help parents feel safer within the co-parenting relationship and protect children from being caught in the middle.

WHAT PARENTING COORDINATION IS NOT:

Parenting Coordination is not:

• couples counselling or reconciliation work

• individual therapy for parents or children

• legal representation or advocacy

• a process that requires equal power or mutual trust between parents

• a forum for revisiting past relationship issues

PC is future-focused and practical. It is designed to support implementation of existing agreements while prioritizing child wellbeing and reducing harm.

Professional Qualifications

Parent Coordination services provided within this practice are qualified under the Family Law Act, S.B.C. 2011, c. 25, ss. 14–19, and the Family Law Act Regulation, B.C. Reg. 347/2012, s. 6. For more information on Parent Coordination in British Columbia, please refer to the BC Parent Coordination website.

WHAT IS MEDIATION?

Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process where a neutral professional, the mediator, helps clients discuss and resolve issues. The mediator does not take sides or make decisions. Instead, they guide conversations, help clarify concerns, and support both people in working toward practical, durable agreements for the future. Helping people move forward.

The process typically begins with an initial meeting where the mediator explains how mediation works and helps identify the key issues that need to be addressed. Through structured conversations, possible solutions are explored and agreements may be documented in writing so they can later be reviewed by lawyers and converted into a binding agreement, if desired.

Mediation works best when both people are willing to participate and discuss solutions. It is not necessary to agree on everything at the start. The goal is to help move from disagreement toward workable agreements. In some situations, mediation may not be appropriate, particularly where there are safety concerns, coercion, ungovernability, or significant power imbalances. Responsible mediation includes screening for these factors to help ensure safety and suitability.

Family mediation provided under this practice is qualified under the legislative requirements of the Family Law Act.

WHO THIS HELPS:

• Co-parents and former partners (parenting plans, separation agreements)

• Couples exploring conscious coupling or uncoupling

• Families navigating inter-generational, parent/teen, or sibling conflict

• Eldercare and caregiving coordination for aging or ill family members

• Pet-related disputes

• Neighbours concerns and team dynamics

WHAT IS A SEPARATION AGREEMENT?

A separation agreement is a written document that outlines the decisions separating partners made about important matters such as parenting arrangements (the parenting plan), financial support, and division of assets. These agreements help create clarity and stability after separation by setting out how responsibilities, finances, and parenting arrangements will work moving forward. Mediated agreements are non-binding. Clients are encouraged to obtain independent legal advice before converting any agreements into an enforceable separation agreement or court order.

WHAT IS A PARENTING PLAN?

In some situations, families may choose to develop a parenting plan on its own. This can happen for many reasons. For example, some families prefer to address parenting arrangements separately from financial matters to reduce tension, financial issues may be moving through the court process while parenting needs immediate support, or an existing parenting plan may need updating as children grow and their needs change.

A parenting plan is a detailed agreement that describes how parents will care for and make decisions about their children after separation. Parenting plans often outline parenting schedules, decision-making responsibilities, communication between parents, and how holidays or special events will be handled. A clear parenting plan helps reduce confusion and conflict by creating predictable routines and expectations for both parents and children. The goal of a parenting plan is to support stability for children while helping parents navigate co-parenting in a structured and practical way.

WHAT WE CAN RESOLVE:

Decision-making frameworks, parenting plans, communication protocols, and boundaries, Parenting schedules, exchanges, holidays, travel, and expenses, Separation terms-in-principle and post-separation adjustments, Care plans for aging or ill relatives; involvement of supports and services, Pet care/expenses/placement agreements, conflict-resolution pathways and more.

The practice as a Family Law Mediator is qualified through the recognition as a Family Dispute Resolution Professional under s. 4 of the Family Law Act, S.B.C. 2011, c. 25, and qualified in accordance with the Family Dispute Resolution Professionals Regulation, B.C. Reg. 347/2012.

Children are entitled by law to have a voice in matters that affect them. Both the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, Article 12) and British Columbia’s Family Law Actaffirm that a child’s views should be considered, when appropriate, in decisions related to their care and well-being. The best interests of the child remain the primary concern, and one meaningful way to include the child’s perspective is through a Hear the Child Report.

When a child’s voice is to be included, the standard approach involves meeting with a skilled, neutral professional who listens to the child and accurately reports what was shared. A Voice of the Child Report provides both parents with a neutral third party who helps ensure their child’s views are heard and represented respectfully.

Extensive experience working with children and youth (ages 3–19) informs this service. A safe, warm, and supportive environment is created so children can express themselves in developmentally appropriate ways. Training includes Voice of the Child reporting, attachment, trauma, family systems, play therapy, art therapy, sandtray therapy, and the intersection of therapeutic and legal frameworks. This ensures each report is prepared with sensitivity, professionalism, and care, even in complex family situations.

TYPES OF REPORTS:

Understanding the differences between available report formats is essential:

• Non-Evaluative Hear the Child Report
  Records the child’s views, wishes, and experiences in their own words, without interpretation or recommendations.
  (This is the type of report offered.)

• Evaluative Hear the Child Report
  Records the child’s views and includes the professional’s assessment, analysis, or recommendations.

• Section 211 Reports
  Ordered under s. 211 of the Family Law Act, these are comprehensive assessments (typically by a psychologist or social worker) and may include parenting capacity evaluations, recommendations, and an analysis of family dynamics.

TYPE OF REPORT OFFERED:

Non-Evaluative Hear the Child Reports are offered, focusing solely on providing children the opportunity to share their perspective in a safe and respectful manner. The role of the neutral professional is to listen and convey the child’s voice clearly, without judgment, interpretation, or recommendation, ensuring their views can be meaningfully considered in the decision-making process.

This work is conducted in alignment with best practices and standards upheld by the BC Hear the Child Society.

Every family situation is different. Screening helps ensure that any dispute-resolution process is structured in a way that supports safety, fairness, and meaningful participation for everyone involved.

Before beginning mediation, arbitration, parenting coordination, or other co-parenting processes, BC legislation requires screening for power imbalances and interpersonal violence (IPV). This helps ensure any dispute-resolution process can proceed safely, fairly, and meaningfully for everyone involved.

Screening is a confidential process that explores family dynamics, relationship history, and any potential presence or impact of coercion, control, fear, abuse, neglect, or intimidation: whether emotional, psychological, financial, or physical. The goal is not to assign blame, but to understand the context of the relationship and support the dispute-resolution professional in designing a process that prioritizes safety, voice, and greater balance for everyone involved, while protecting the neutrality of the process.

Reports are provided only to the neutral dispute-resolution professional and are not shared with clients or used for court purposes.

Grounded in trauma-informed, response-based, and culturally attuned practice, the screening process aligns with provincial family law requirements and helps guide recommendations about the most appropriate path forward.