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A Parenting Coordinator is usually a mediator and arbitrator, family law lawyer or mental health professional trained in mediation and arbitration in divorce/separation and child development. Parent Coordinators require extensive education and experience to be appointed.
Although the child therapist or lawyer may have the expertise to provide a Parenting Coordinator service, they cannot operate as a parent coordinator if they also act as a legal representative for yourself or a counsellor for your children.
You may need a child therapist and you will need legal counsel, but each of these roles should remain separate and distinct.
No, a Mediator is a neutral third party who can help you work out your separation details through a specific process. They cannot provide education or recommendations to the parties or make binding decisions.
The role of the Mediator is less intrusive and typically completed in a closed, confidential way. The Parenting Coordinator may need to speak to a variety of professionals involved with your family to be of assistance to you. Information shared is not necessarily confidential/closed. The process is very transparent, and the parties are typically both involved in all communications.
Parents pay for the service and generally divide the fees 50/50 unless they decide to share the costs in an alternative way.
Some fees may be covered under the medical section on your taxes or through individual medical coverage such as Blue Cross.
Entering into an agreement to work with a Parenting Coordinator and finding a reasonable outcome can be highly successful. In the few cases that it is not, there is typically a provision in your agreement with your PC to proceed to use the services of an external Arbitrator or the Parenting Coordinator will shift to an Arbitration role. An external person will be provided all of the information about your situation and they will deliberate and make a binding decision for you or the PC will assist you in this way.
It is not necessary to be on “good” terms with the other party to enter into this process. In fact, the PC can act as a neutral helper in matters where high levels of mistrust and conflict are present. The PC is neutral in that all parties are viewed from an equal opportunity position but the PC can begin to raise issues that have been critical in stopping you from reaching a resolution. This role is different from that of a Mediator in that the PC addresses issues through education and recommendations.
You may approach your legal counsel for names of professionals who engage in this practice. You may also contact the Alberta Family Mediation Society for a list of names of qualified professionals. Parenting Coordinators have a specific set of expertise including: 1) Clinical Masters degree in a mental health discipline, 2) Mediation training, 3) Training and experience in domestic violence, 4) Training in issues related to separation and divorce, 5) Training in high conflict situations 6) Training in Parenting Coordination process. 7) Training in Arbitration.
