Parenting Coordination

Parenting Coordination is a child-focused, post-separation support process designed to help parents manage ongoing conflict and implement parenting arrangements more effectively. It offers a structured, practical alternative to repeated litigation, with long-term benefits for both parents and children.

Key advantages include:

• Reduces parental conflict – Helps parents resolve day-to-day disputes calmly and constructively

• Improves communication – Teaches skills for respectful dialogue and decision-making

• Provides consistency for children – Supports stable routines and predictable transitions between homes

• Protects children from exposure to conflict – Shields children from loyalty binds and emotional stress

• Promotes cooperation – Encourages shared parenting and mutual accountability

• Supports compliance with court orders – Clarifies expectations and helps parents follow through

• Reduces stress and anxiety – Creates a more peaceful home environment for children and parents

• Offers timely resolution – Addresses urgent parenting issues without waiting for court dates

• Enhances long-term outcomes – Builds skills that improve future co-parenting and family dynamics

• Keeps families out of court – Minimises legal costs and emotional toll by resolving issues early

Parenting Coordination is especially valuable for high-conflict families seeking a child-first approach to post-separation parenting.

Parenting Coordination is especially helpful for separated parents who continue to experience ongoing conflict around parenting arrangements, even after court orders or parenting plans are in place. It is designed for families who want to reduce stress, improve communication, and protect their children from the negative effects of parental disputes.

You may benefit from Parenting Coordination if:

• You have high-conflict interactions with your co-parent

• You struggle to implement or interpret court orders or parenting plans

• Disagreements frequently arise over changeovers, holidays, school decisions, or routines

• Your child is exposed to tension or loyalty binds between parents

• You want to avoid repeated court applications and resolve issues more constructively

• You need ongoing support to manage co-parenting responsibilities and reduce emotional strain

Parenting Coordination provides a structured, child-focused process that helps parents stay accountable, make timely decisions, and create a more peaceful environment for their children.

Common areas of assistance include:

• Clarifying or adjusting schedules – Minor changes to parenting time, holiday arrangements, or temporary variations

• Managing communication boundaries – Guidelines for respectful verbal, written, or electronic communication between co-parents

• Coordinating transitions and exchanges – Details around changeovers, including time, location, transport and logistics

• Health care decisions – Support around medical, dental, psychological and specialist care

• Child-rearing practices – Guidance on routines, discipline, diet, homework and bedtime

• Education and childcare – Assistance with school selection, tutoring, special education and major educational decisions

• Extracurricular activities – Participation, scheduling and financial contributions

• Travel and documentation – Arrangements for travel, passports and consent

• Children’s belongings – Management of clothing, equipment and personal items

• Involvement of others – Clarifying roles and boundaries with new partners, extended family, or significant others

Parenting Coordination provides a structured way to address these issues constructively, reducing stress, improving consistency and keeping children’s needs at the forefront.

Unlike Mediation or Family Dispute Resolution, Parenting Coordination is not a confidential process. Because it is designed to support accountability and reduce ongoing conflict, the Parenting Coordinator may be required to report observations or provide information to the Court if requested by either party or ordered by a judge.

While individual intake sessions may be private, all joint sessions and communications during the Parenting Coordination process are considered on record. This ensures that both parents remain focused on respectful co-parenting and the best interests of their children.

Parenting Coordination is a transparent, child-focused process, not a forum for negotiation or private settlement. Its goal is to help parents implement existing orders, resolve day-to-day disputes and reduce the emotional toll of ongoing conflict.

For some families, co-parenting after separation feels impossible, marked by conflict, miscommunication, and emotional strain. Parenting Coordination offers a structured, child-focused pathway to move from this impasse toward more stable and cooperative parenting.

Through regular guidance, education, and conflict management, Parenting Coordination helps parents:

• Shift from reactive conflict to structured independence through parallel parenting

• Establish clear boundaries and routines that reduce tension and protect children

• Develop communication skills that support respectful, child-focused exchanges

• Build trust gradually, allowing for more collaboration over time

• Focus on shared goals, such as stability, emotional safety and consistent care

• Transition from parallel parenting to cooperative co-parenting when readiness and skills improve

This process doesn’t demand immediate harmony, it supports parents in building the foundations for it. With time, many families move from minimal contact to more open collaboration, creating a healthier environment for their children and themselves.

A healthy co-parenting relationship is built on mutual respect, clear communication, and a shared commitment to your child’s wellbeing. Here are some key indicators:

• Open and respectful communication – Parents speak calmly, listen actively, and avoid defensiveness or blame

• Consistency across households – Similar routines, rules, and expectations help children feel secure

• Flexibility and compromise – Parents adapt to changes and support each other when plans shift

• Joint decision-making – Both parents collaborate on important choices about education, health and activities

• Mutual respect – Each parent acknowledges the other’s role and avoids criticism, especially in front of the child

• Unified front – Children see their parents working together, which reinforces stability and emotional safety

• Boundaries and privacy – Personal lives are kept separate, with a focus on parenting matters

• Emotional support and appreciation – Parents recognise each other’s efforts and show gratitude

• Conflict resolution skills – Disagreements are handled constructively, with a focus on solutions

• Child-centred focus – Decisions and interactions prioritise the child’s needs above personal differences

These signs reflect a cooperative, respectful environment that helps children thrive emotionally and developmentally.

A parallel co-parenting relationship is a structured arrangement designed for separated parents who experience ongoing conflict and find it difficult to communicate or collaborate effectively. Unlike traditional co-parenting, parallel parenting minimises direct contact between parents, while allowing both to remain actively involved in their children’s lives.

• Limited communication – Parents communicate only when necessary, often through written messages or co-parenting apps and keep conversations focused strictly on the child’s needs

• Independent decision-making – Each parent makes day-to-day decisions independently when the child is in their care

• Separate routines and rules – Each household may have its own parenting style, as long as it supports the child’s wellbeing

• Neutral handovers – Changeovers may occur at school or through third parties to avoid direct interaction

• Clear boundaries – Parents avoid attending the same events or appointments and maintain emotional distance

• Child-focused structure – The arrangement prioritises stability and shields children from parental conflict

Parallel parenting is especially useful in high-conflict situations, where cooperation is not possible but both parents wish to remain involved. It provides a framework that reduces stress, protects children from emotional harm and promotes consistency across two homes, even when parents cannot work together directly.

Our fees are set out here. This cost of joint sessions is usually shared equally with the other parent unless otherwise agreed.

With nearly 20 years’ experience in family law in addition to her background in psychology, Olivia is uniquely positioned to help you navigate the complexities of parenting arrangements. As a Parenting Coordinator, Olivia works with parents experiencing ongoing conflict to address challenges, helping them stay focused on their children’s needs while reducing stress and improving communication.