BC Parenting Coordination vs. Mediation: Choosing the Best for Your Family

Mediation, Arbitration, and Parenting Coordination: Choosing the Right Process

When parents separate or divorce, they are often encouraged to resolve disputes outside of court. In British Columbia, several different processes exist to do that, including family law mediation, arbitration (including med‑arb), and parenting coordination.

Although they are sometimes spoken about together, these processes serve very different purposes. Choosing the right one depends on the type of problem you are trying to solve.

Family Law Mediation: Exploring Interests to Reach Agreement

Family law mediation is a voluntary, consent‑based process. A neutral mediator helps parents negotiate their own agreement. The mediator does not make decisions or impose outcomes.

Most family law mediation in BC is facilitative and interest‑based. This means the process is designed to help parents:

• identify the issues to be resolved

• explore their interests, concerns, and priorities

• consider different options

• reach a compromise they can both accept

Emotional expression and discussion of past events may be part of this process, because understanding interests often requires understanding what has happened and why parents feel the way they do.

Mediation is typically short‑term and is most often used before parenting arrangements are finalized. Once an agreement is reached—or mediation ends—the mediator’s role is over.

Arbitration and Med‑Arb: Private Decision‑Making

Arbitration is a private decision‑making process under the Arbitration Act (BC). Parents agree to have a neutral arbitrator decide their dispute instead of a judge. The arbitrator’s decision is binding and must comply with the law, including the best interests of the child.

Med‑arb combines mediation and arbitration. The professional first tries to help the parents reach agreement. If that fails, the process shifts to arbitration and a binding decision is made.

Both arbitration and med‑arb are issue‑specific and time‑limited. They are designed to resolve defined disputes, not to provide ongoing parenting management.

Parenting Coordination: Implementing Existing Orders and Agreements

Parenting coordination is different.

A Parenting Coordinator (PC) is appointed after a parenting order or agreement already exists. The PC’s role is not to renegotiate that arrangement, but to help parents implement it and to reduce conflict that continues to affect the child.

Parenting coordination is usually longer‑term, often lasting one to two years. It is intended for families where conflict keeps resurfacing around day‑to‑day parenting issues, such as schedules, exchanges, school matters, holidays, and communication.

How PC Consensus Discussions Differ from Mediation

Parenting Coordinators do try to help parents reach agreement where possible. However, PC “mediation” is not the same as family law mediation.

In parenting coordination:

• the existing court order or agreement sets the boundaries

• discussions are limited to issues necessary to implement that order

• interests are considered only insofar as they relate to the child’s needs

• emotional concerns are acknowledged, but not explored in depth

• past grievances are not revisited

This containment is intentional. Parenting coordination is designed for situations where open‑ended exploration of interests or past hurts has not led to stability and may increase conflict or delay decisions.

The goal is not to process the past, but to make the parenting system work now, for the child.

Decisions and the Best Interests of the Child

If parents cannot agree, a Parenting Coordinator may make a binding Determination, but only within the limited authority set out in the Family Law Act and the appointment order or agreement.

Any Determination must be based solely on the best interests of the child and must implement—not change—the existing parenting arrangement.

This is a key difference from mediation. Even if both parents agree to a proposal, a Parenting Coordinator cannot approve it if it is inconsistent with the child’s best interests or the governing order. Where parents wish to change their order by consent, that must be done separately with independent legal advice and filed in court.

Which Process Is Right for You?

Mediation or med‑arb may be a good fit if:

• parenting arrangements are not yet finalized

• parents can negotiate in good faith

• broader interests and options need to be explored

• a short‑term process is appropriate

Parenting coordination may be a good fit if:

• a parenting order or agreement already exists

• conflict keeps recurring around implementation

• children are affected by ongoing disputes

• structure, predictability, and containment are needed

• decisions must consistently be filtered through a child‑focused lens

Final Thought

All of these processes exist to reduce conflict and limit court involvement—but they are designed for different stages and different problems.

Understanding those differences helps parents choose a process that fits their situation and sets realistic expectations about what the professional can—and cannot—do.

Written by Cori L. McGuire, a PC since 2008 and a family law lawyer since 1998 in British Columbia. Cori has many other articles on the parenting coordination process including: Neutrality vs. Impartiality: Understanding the Core Ethical Role of Your Parenting Coordinator. Further reading by subject is found in our Resource Library.