About Cori L. McGuire
Cori began practising family law in 1998, when she was called to the British Columbia Bar. Over nearly three decades, her practice has spanned litigation, mediation, collaborative law, and arbitration. Cori was among the first Legal Aid Duty Counsel in BC to provide free family law services in courthouses, contributing to early access-to-justice initiatives for separating and divorcing families. Today, Cori's practice focuses primarily on parenting coordination and family law arbitration. She helps families resolve specific disputes, implement parenting arrangements, and reduce the ongoing conflict that can place children in the middle. Based in Kelowna and serving clients throughout British Columbia, she brings almost 30 years of family law experience with a practical, implementation-focused approach designed to help families make decisions and move forward.
Professional Leadership
Parenting Coordinator Roster Society — Executive roles including past vice-chair
Canadian Bar Association — Past Chair, Okanagan Family Law Section; Past Chair, National Family Law Section; Past Chair, National Child and Youth Law Section
Cori’s work is grounded in advanced training and accreditation across multiple family justice roles:
- Family Law Arbitrator Accredited by the Law Society of British Columbia (2013)
- Parenting Coordinator Practising since 2008, assisting parents to implement parenting agreements and court orders and to resolve ongoing parenting disputes
- Family Law Mediator Practising since 2003, with a focus on collaborative and consensual dispute resolution
- Child Advocate Representing the best interests of young children, and acting as a traditional advocate for older children with views, since 1998
- Child Interviewer and S.211 Assessor Conducting specialized child interviews for court processes to ensure children’s voices are appropriately heard
- Collaborative Lawyer since 2003, trained in interest‑based negotiation and non‑adversarial dispute resolution
Leadership, Teaching & Policy Work
Cori has contributed extensively to legal education, professional training, and policy development at the provincial and national levels.
In 2002, Cori served as an organizer of the pilot “Hear the Child” training in Kelowna, supporting early professional education on incorporating children’s voices appropriately within family justice processes.
Teaching and speaking roles have included guest lectures for West Coast LEAF and UBC Okanagan, as well as presenting and moderating continuing legal education programs across Canada through the Canadian Bar Association.
Policy work has included assisting with the drafting of CBA submissions and policy papers on family law reform, including the BC Family Law Act, family violence reforms, and children’s participation in justice processes. Cori has also published legal papers in the family law field.
Academic Background
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) University of Western Ontario / University of British Columbia
- Master of Arts (Sociology) McMaster University
- Post‑Baccalaureate Diploma (Criminology) Simon Fraser University
- Bachelor of Arts University of Saskatchewan
Personal Perspective
Cori is a parent of four grown children and a stepchild. She also experienced high-conflict co-parenting in her own life many years ago. While every family is different, that experience deepened her understanding of the emotional, practical, and developmental toll prolonged conflict takes — on children and parents alike. Those experiences reinforced a lesson she has seen repeatedly throughout her career: children benefit when adults are given structure, clarity, and practical tools to resolve disputes rather than remain trapped in them. That perspective now informs her trauma-informed, neuroscience-aware, and implementation-focused approach to parenting coordination and dispute resolution.
ParentingCoordinatorBC.online — A Free Educational Resource
Families deserve access to practical information, even when they're not ready to retain a professional. That's why Cori created ParentingCoordinatorBC.online, a free educational resource containing articles, handouts, and answers to common questions about parenting coordination, co-parenting, and family dispute resolution in British Columbia.
Whether you're a parent, lawyer, mental health professional, or simply looking for reliable information, the resources are available to explore.
Let's Talk
Every family and every dispute is different. If you're considering parenting coordination, arbitration, or other family dispute resolution services, Cori would be pleased to discuss whether her approach fits your situation.
Letting children to be children again
Learn about the Parenting Coordination Method
