352 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 79 PART 3 MAY 2021
ever, parties are encouraged to obtain independent legal advice respecting
their rights and obligations and the impacts of their decisions on their
future affairs. Most parties attend the parenting coordination without the
active involvement of their legal counsel.
HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS TAKE?
The length of time a parenting coordinator may be engaged is highly
dependent on the parties and the complexities of the issues in conflict. Pursuant
to s. 15(4) of the Act, “a parenting coordinator’s authority to act ends
2 years after the parenting coordination agreement or order is made, unless
the parenting coordination agreement or order specifies that the parenting
coordinator’s authority is to end on an earlier date or on the occurrence of
an earlier event”. In general, a parenting coordinator is likely to be involved
with the family for one to two years.
CAN THE PROCESS BE TERMINATED?
Pursuant to s. 15(6) of the Act, despite subsection (4), a parenting coordination
agreement or order may be terminated at any time as follows:
(a) in the case of an agreement, by agreement of the parties or by an
order made on application by either of the parties;
(b) in the case of an order, by an order made on application by either
of the parties;
(c) in any case, by the parenting coordinator, on giving notice to the
parties and, if the parenting coordinator is acting under an order,
to the court.
WHY A PARENTING COORDINATOR MAY BE RIGHT FOR YOUR CLIENT
Best Interests of the Children
The child-focused approach to parenting promoted by parenting coordinators
can assist parents who often struggle to separate the issues they have
between each other from the crucial decisions they must make for their
children. By working with both parties and perhaps other professionals as
a neutral party, the parenting coordinator gains important insights used to
help parents make better decisions. The parenting coordinator’s unbiased
suggestions remain focused on the children.
Children Observe Less Conflict
Parents are their children’s most important role models. When co-parents
can communicate with each other and make decisions without conflict,