Do you have a Court Order or a Separation Agreement which sets out your parenting plan? If so, parenting coordination may be you! This is a new service which is being offered in Lloydminster. It is for parents who already have their arrangements in writing, and may need assistance to implement their plan.
The idea is that parents will sign on with a parenting coordinator (PC) for at least 2 years during which time they have full access to their PC anytime they need (almost – don’t think you’re getting a reply email at 2 a.m.!), on very short notice, for any conflict that has come up between you and your ex.
For instance, it is Wednesday before the Easter weekend, and you thought it was clear in your agreement as to how Easter weekend would be shared, but in fact your ex has a different interpretation of the agreement. What do you do? It’s in 2 days. Call your lawyer? You’ll never get an appointment, much less a resolution. Call a mediator? You won’t get a consultation before that time? Try to talk to the other parent? The conflict will probably escalate.
Instead, call your PC who is already retained and ready for your call when you need the assistance. You would set up either a phone conference or an in-person meeting to resolve your situation on the spot. The big difference between any other form of dispute resolution and parenting coordination is this – your PC will work with you in a mediation setting to try to assist you and your ex to arrive at your own resolution. If it becomes clear that this will not happen within the available timeframe, then the PC has the authority to arbitrate the situation – meaning that the PC will make the decision for you as a judge would after hearing both of your perspectives. All of a sudden, your Easter weekend plans are now sorted out, and you can carry on.
This service can be invaluable to parents who believe that there may be conflict between mom and dad into the future, even once the written document has been finalized. Imagine, having a professional basically on-call to assist you to resolve any conflicts that arise – if you don`t need the service, then it doesn`t cost you a dime … priceless!
What do you think of the idea of parenting coordination? Share your stories with me – send me an email or follow me on Twitter at @sdobsonlawyer and send me a tweet. I want to hear from you! Find archives of my articles on our website.