PARENTING COORDINATOR
Separation agreements, court orders and parenting plans often outline Custody and Access matters in detail, however, there are often small but important aspects that are not included which cause great strife and conflict between parents. Such conflict bodes negatively on children, who need to be unencumbered by the ongoing dispute between their parents. The Parenting Coordinator deals with the implementation of the Parenting Plan set out by Court Order or by way of Minutes of Settlement. The Parenting Coordinator strives to implement and execute the Parenting Plan so as to ensure that the children are shielded and buffered from the conflict that ensues between their parents. As such, this service is provided and reserved for moderate to high conflict families, where significant conflict still exists despite having a Parenting Plan in place.
The Parenting Coordinator seeks to fine-tune details such as what happens if a child or parent is sick, or if school is cancelled, exactly when do transfer times take place, how will decisions about health care and education be made and how to resolve disagreements such as extra-ordinary family events that fall outside the parameters of the Parenting Plans. Parenting Coordination includes elements of education, coaching, facilitating, mediating, and at times, arbitrating.
Arbitration as Part of a Parenting Coordinator:
As discussed the Parenting Coordinator’s goal is to better clarify and clearly define the Parenting Plans as issues arise. Should the parties not be able to come to an agreement, Ilana Tamari can act as an arbitrator to resolve the issues in dispute. In this role, she will review each party’s submitted material and arbitrate based on the best interests of the children while staying within the parameters set out by the Parenting Plan. The decisions that Ilana Tamari renders after arbitration are legally binding.
How to begin the process of retaining a Parenting Coordinator:
Ilana Tamari will proceed as a Parenting Coordinator upon the parents’ consent to her involvement. The parents will require Independent Legal Advice by a lawyer prior to signing her contract. The process of Parenting Coordination begins with a three-way telephone consultation with the parents’ legal counsel to review Ilana Tamari’s contract in detail and complete it as well as reviewing the existing Parenting Plan. The parents will then need to complete the Intake Questionnaire form found on Ilana’s website under the Contract Tab. Ilana Tamari will then set up an individual appointment with each parent to review power imbalances and any domestic abuse issues that may impact on their ability to participate in this process. After the administrative framework is completed, Ilana Tamari will help delineate the current issues to be dealt with. A significant portion of parenting coordination takes place via telephone consultations and emails. However, face-to-face meetings will be needed periodically to help establish and maintain rapport and where a continued assessment of power imbalances are reviewed between Ilana and the parents throughout the process.
Procedures and Protocols needed Prior to Retaining Ilana Tamari as a Parenting Coordinator:
The following are the steps that need to take place prior to retaining Ilana Tamari as a Parenting Coordinator Toronto:
1. A half-hour to one hour, three-way telephone conference call between Ilana and both counsel, to review the parenting plan already in place and to review some of the outstanding issues at hand. Discussions will centre around the scope of her role within the parameters of the parenting plan. This three-way telephone conference call will also review the terms of the contract and fill out any necessary missing information.
2. Each party along with their counsel must complete and sign the Parenting Coordination Agreement found on her website under the Contract and Intake Tab.
3. In addition, counsel should provide their respective clients with an ILA certificate, which can be found here.
4. Each party should complete the Intake Form and a Child Form and e-mail (ilanatamariconsulting@gmail.com) a completed copy of each to Ilana.
5. Each party shall provide his or her part of Ilana’s retainer as discussed in the conference call with counsel.
6. After the above steps have been completed, Ilana will schedule a separate meeting with each parent to ascertain whether there are any power imbalances that she needs to be aware of and other issues that may need to be addressed in the very near future.
For further information on Parenting Coordination Toronto please see http://www.parentcoordinators.ca