Welcome to the BC Parenting Coordinators Roster

Parenting coordination is a child-focused dispute resolution process for separated families. Parenting coordinators are experienced family law lawyers, counsellors, social workers and psychologists who have special training in helping parents recognize the needs of their children and in mediating and arbitrating parenting disputes.

Separation is a difficult event for parents and a critical point in the lives of their children. Some parents, particularly where their breakup was traumatic, find themselves in constant conflict with one another, long after separation and sometimes long after trial.

Parenting coordination is a process that gives parents like these quick and easy access to a neutral decision-maker who can resolve day-to-day conflicts about parenting as they arise, with the goal of minimizing further conflict and futher appearances in court. Parents in high conflict with one another may retain a parenting coordinator on their own initiative or be referred to a parenting coordinator by the court.

Parenting coordination is new to British Columbia, but is used extensively in other jurisdictions, including Washington, Oregon, California and Massachusetts.

This is the website of the BC Parenting Coordinators Roster, a group of British Columbia family law lawyers and mental health professionals who have established a program to train and organize parenting coordinators in this province. This website contains information about parenting coordination, how to arrange for parenting coordination and who parenting coordination is best suited for, and provides access to our roster of qualified parenting coordinators.

Information for Professionals

Check this space for up to date information about upcoming training events and opportunities.

Click here for more information about parenting coordination; click here to review our roster. If you are interested in becoming a parenting coordinator, click here for contact information for the Executive Committee and here for a list of the members of the Professional Qualifications Subcommittee.

Information for Parents

Parenting coordination isn't for everyone. In general, parenting coordination works best for parents who already have some kind of resolution to issues like custody, guardianship and where the children will mostly live. Parenting coordination is not meant to deal with these important problems, or to determine access schedules following parents' separation. Once these problems are solved, that's when we can help.

Parenting coordinators help parents deal with day-to-day conflicts about parenting issues on a long term basis, usually for a term of one or two years, with a focus on the children and the children's experience of their parents' conflict. The "Parenting Coordination" page of this website has a lot more information about parenting coordination, including a helpful paper about parenting coordination written by one of the members of our Executive Committee. Click here for more information.

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