What if one parent is hard to reach and is blocking decisions by not responding?

Joint decision-making is meant to encourage cooperation, but it can break down when one parent deliberately delays, ignores communications, or refuses to engage. This leaves the other parent — and the child — in limbo.

If your co-parent is consistently unresponsive, document every attempt to reach them with dates and methods. Use written communication channels (email or a co-parenting app) that create a clear record. Many parenting plans include a deemed consent provision: if a parent does not respond to a communication about a major decision within a defined period (say, 48 or 72 hours), their silence is treated as agreement. If your plan does not include such a clause, consider seeking one.

In more serious cases — where a child's medical care or schooling is being delayed by non-response — you can bring an urgent motion to the family court to have the decision made judicially or to vary the decision-making arrangement. Courts do not look kindly on a parent who weaponizes joint decision-making by simply failing to engage.

If the pattern is persistent, a court may be willing to vary the decision-making arrangement to grant one parent sole authority in specific areas.