Parenting Coordination in Ontario: How It Works and When to Use It

When separated parents cannot resolve day-to-day disputes about their children without a court appearance, the costs — financial and emotional — quickly become unsustainable. Parenting coordination in Ontario offers a structured alternative: a trained professional who helps parents implement their parenting order, resolve minor disputes quickly, and — in some cases — make binding decisions when parents are deadlocked.

If your co-parenting situation is high conflict and you feel like you are constantly on the verge of returning to court, parenting coordination may be the tool that makes co-parenting functional again.

What Is a Parenting Coordinator?

A parenting coordinator (PC) is a neutral professional — typically a family lawyer, psychologist, or social worker with specialized training in dispute resolution and child development — appointed to assist parents in implementing a parenting order or agreement.

The PC's role sits between mediation and arbitration:

• Like a mediator, the PC facilitates communication and helps parents reach their own solutions.
• Like an arbitrator, the PC has the authority (when the parties' agreement gives them this power) to make binding decisions on specific, limited parenting issues.

Parenting coordination is governed in Ontario both by the courts' parens patriae jurisdiction and by the Family Law Act provisions on family arbitration. The PC role and powers are defined in the Parenting Coordination Agreement signed by the parties.

What Issues Can a Parenting Coordinator Address?

A PC is designed to handle the implementation disputes that inevitably arise in co-parenting — not to re-litigate the major issues already decided by the court. Typical issues include:

• A parent is consistently late for exchanges
• One parent wants to change a holiday arrangement already set out in the order
• Disagreement about a specific medical appointment or school event
• A child's extracurricular schedule has changed and the parents cannot agree on how it affects parenting time
• Communication breakdowns between parents

A PC cannot vary the fundamental terms of a parenting order (such as changing which parent the child primarily lives with) — those issues still require court proceedings.

How Parenting Coordination Works

Step 1: Both Parents Agree (or the Court Appoints)

Parenting coordination usually begins by consent: both parents sign a Parenting Coordination Agreement that sets out the PC's mandate, their authority to make decisions (if any), and how costs will be shared.

Courts in Ontario can also appoint a PC without the parties' agreement, though consent-based arrangements are generally more effective.

Step 2: Intake and Information Gathering

The PC will typically review the parenting order, separation agreement, and relevant court history. They may conduct separate intake sessions with each parent to understand the family's situation.

Step 3: Joint and Separate Sessions

The PC can meet with parents jointly or separately. In high-conflict situations, separate sessions are common. The PC facilitates discussion toward resolution.

Step 4: Decision-Making

If the parents cannot agree after good-faith efforts, the PC (when authorized to do so) can make a binding decision within the scope of their mandate. This decision is put in writing. A party who disagrees can seek court review, but the PC's decision stands in the meantime — preventing one parent from simply refusing to engage.

Step 5: Ongoing Support

Parenting coordination is typically not a one-time appointment. A PC often works with a family over a period of months or years, handling disputes as they arise and helping parents develop better communication habits over time.

What Kinds of Families Benefit Most?

Parenting coordination is particularly useful when:

• Court proceedings have not resolved the parents' conflict — the same disputes keep recurring
• Parents have difficulty communicating directly without hostility
• The children are showing signs of stress from ongoing parental conflict
• One or both parents have difficulty implementing the parenting order as written

It is not appropriate in situations where there is active family violence or a significant power imbalance — those situations require different interventions, including safety planning.

How Is a Parenting Coordinator Selected?

The parties may agree on a PC themselves, or the court may appoint one. In Ontario, qualified PCs are often members of professional organizations and have completed specialized parenting coordination training. Asking for credentials and experience with families similar to yours is entirely appropriate.

Cost of Parenting Coordination

The cost is shared between the parents (often equally, unless the court orders otherwise). Rates vary by the PC's background and hourly rate. As of writing — verify current market rates — expect costs to be similar to those of a senior mediator. While there is a cost, it is typically far less than returning to court repeatedly for motions.

How Does Parenting Coordination Interact with Legal Proceedings?

Parenting coordination does not replace legal proceedings — it complements them. The PC is not a lawyer for either party and cannot provide legal advice. If a major parenting issue arises (such as one parent wishing to relocate), the parties will still need to return to court. However, the PC can often help parties navigate smaller disputes quickly enough that full-blown litigation is unnecessary.

Frequently asked questions