How does a parenting coordinator handle a dispute that falls outside their defined scope?

A parenting coordinator generally isn't authorized to simply decide an issue that falls outside the scope set out in the parenting coordination agreement, even if the parents bring it to them and even if resolving it might genuinely help. A coordinator who takes their role seriously should recognize when a dispute exceeds their defined authority and redirect the parents toward the appropriate process instead, whether that's negotiating a new agreement between themselves, returning to mediation, or bringing the issue before the court if it involves something like decision-making responsibility, relocation, or a support variation.

This boundary matters because a decision made outside the coordinator's actual authority may not be binding or enforceable, potentially creating a false sense that the issue has been resolved when it hasn't been in any legally effective way. Parents who find themselves regularly hitting the edges of their coordinator's scope may want to revisit the agreement itself, since a scope that's proving too narrow for their actual disputes might need to be renegotiated. Getting legal advice on whether to expand the coordinator's authority, or address a specific issue through another route, is worthwhile when this comes up.