Stop Litigating. Start Parenting.
Cori L. McGuire, Lawyer Parenting Coordinator for High‑Conflict Families Across British Columbia
When every conversation turns into conflict, decisions stall, and court involvement seems to make things worse, families need a clear process, steady guidance, and reliable structure. Parenting Coordination offers a way forward when co‑parenting has become unmanageable. You don’t need to be sure this is the right fit. A brief conversation can help you decide. Book a confidential consultation
Parenting Coordination for High‑Conflict Families
Serving All of British Columbia — Remotely
If you are overwhelmed, exhausted, or worried about the impact of conflict on your children, you are not alone. Even capable, well‑intentioned parents can become stuck when communication breaks down and stress takes over.
After nearly 30 years in family law and 18 years as a Parenting Coordinator, Cori L. McGuire made a deliberate decision to step away from courtroom litigation.
Court battles often intensify conflict rather than resolve it. Parenting Coordination offers a different path — one designed to contain conflict, support parental change, and help families function within the structure that already exists.
Why Families Turn to Parenting Coordination
Families typically seek Parenting Coordination when:
• Communication has collapsed
• Decisions can’t wait
• Informal agreements no longer hold
• Court involvement has become frequent or inevitable
This process is designed to replace chaos with predictability, and to give parents and children room to stabilize.
Parenting Coordination is a court‑recognized, child‑focused process that helps parents work within their existing parenting agreement or court order.
Depending on the circumstances and the authority granted, Parenting Coordination may involve:
• Conflict management and structured facilitation
• Coaching parents in communication, problem‑solving, and conflict containment
• Supporting agreement‑building and voluntary behavioural change
• Mediation of parenting disputes
• If authorized and only when agreement is not possible: limited, binding determinations that implement existing orders or agreements
The Parenting Coordinator’s role is not to revisit the past or redesign parenting arrangements.
The role is to contain conflict, guide process, and keep families moving forward — within clear legal limits.
What Parenting Coordination Provides
Parenting Coordination is a court‑recognized, child‑focused process designed to help parents:
-
- Resolve ongoing parenting disputes
- Make timely decisions when agreement isn’t possible
- Reduce repeated court applications
- Protect children from adult conflict
The Parenting Coordinator's role is not to revisit the past. The role is to contain conflict, guide decisions, and keep families moving forward — within clear legal limits.
Where appropriate, Parenting Coordination may include:
• Conflict management and facilitation
• Mediation of parenting issues
• Arbitration and binding decisions
All Parenting Coordination services are grounded in law and operate only within a signed agreement or court order.
Grounded in Law. Human in Practice.
Parenting Coordination is not therapy, and it is not informal advice.
It is a legally recognized dispute‑resolution process that operates only when:
• There is a court order or written agreement appointing a Parenting Coordinator; and
• Parents sign a Parenting Coordination participation agreement that defines authority, limits, and responsibilities.
Most of the Parenting Coordination process focuses on non‑coercive coaching, facilitation, and agreement‑building. Parents are supported to reflect, adjust, and change.
Only when determinations are required does the Parenting Coordinator act in a strict, rule‑bound manner, implementing pre‑existing agreements or orders and applying limited decision‑making in the best interests of the child.
The Parenting Coordinator has no enforcement powers, except for fee reapportionment where authorized. In my refined Parenting Coordinator process, I issue periodic reports to parents with a neutral, yet accurate record of services and I make recommendations to them respecting the best interests of their child.
If the process becomes unsafe, coercive, or unworkable — including where there is non‑participation or family violence — the matter is returned to court.
Serving Families Across British Columbia — Remotely
All Parenting Coordination services are provided by telephone, email, and secure online platforms, allowing families to participate:
• From anywhere
• Without sitting beside a co‑parent
• Without travel, added stress, or safety concerns
I work with families in Kelowna, Kamloops, Vancouver, Victoria, Prince George, and all rural communities throughout the province. Parents may be located anywhere in the world, provided their parenting order or agreement is filed in British Columbia.
Understanding Conflict — and Calming It
High‑conflict parenting is not a failure of character.
It is often the predictable result of stress, trauma, and an overwhelmed nervous system.
When parents are stuck in fight‑or‑flight, problem‑solving shuts down. Decisions feel threatening. Every issue feels urgent.
Parenting Coordination under my refined system works because it:
• Reduces emotional escalation
• Creates external containment
• Allows decisions to be made without constant negotiation
You can learn more in the free Resource Library, including:
How PCs Manage High Conflict and
How PC Works to Keep Out of Court.
These resources are available whether or not you retain my services. This Resource Library is intended to support understanding, not to exercise authority.
Early Help Matters
While Parenting Coordination is often used once conflict is entrenched, earlier support can prevent years of litigation.
If you are beginning to notice:
• Increasing hostility
• Repeated disputes over routine issues
• Difficulty implementing an existing parenting plan
Early guidance, education, and planning may help stabilize things before court involvement becomes necessary.
Taking the Next Step
If communication is breaking down and decisions can’t wait, help is available.
A brief conversation can help you understand:
• Whether Parenting Coordination is appropriate
• What legal authority is required
• How the process works
• What alternatives may exist
You do not need to be certain before calling.
Start with information. End with a plan.
Book a confidential consultation.
Learn how a Parenting Coordinator is appointed.
Judicial overviews and model language are available on the For the Judge page.
Detailed explanations of the process can be found on the Method and Services pages.
Cori L. McGuire Law Corporation's Contact Form
Have a question or need to schedule a free phone consult with Cori L. McGuire Law Corporation at (250)717-0926? Fill out this contact form and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Client Testimonials
Children only get one childhood. Not two. Not a redo. And while the adults are locked in conflict, that single, irreplaceable childhood is quietly being consumed by stress, loyalty binds, and adult problems they were never meant to carry.
