Question: What is a parenting coordinator?
Answer: The Family Law Act allows for guardians to agree or the court to order that a qualified professional be appointed to assist guardians in implementing aspects of their parenting plan and making agreed to or ordered decisions about the plan. The agreement or order is generally limited to two years and the decisions of the co-ordinator are binding unless a guardian can establish the decision did not consider material evidence or fails to apply the law. Care should be taken on agreeing to such a process as often co-ordinators are busy and hard to see in a timely way and once they make a decision you may likely be stuck with one you don’t agree with, with limited court review. On the other hand for people with limited resources and communication issues the co-ordinator approach can be an efficient way to resolve parenting issues.