Navigating Co-Parenting Services for Separation and Divorce
Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Pickering offers Parenting Coordination, Family Mediation, Family Arbitration and Practice Note 7 services.
How can you help me?
The 4 areas that I work in are explained elsewhere on this website. If you want to talk to me more about any one of them it is best to email me as my ability to answer phone calls is limited. If you do call, please leave me a voicemail message and I will get back to you as soon as I am able.
What is Parenting Coordination?
Parenting Coordination Process
Parenting Coordination: WHY?
When children are exposed to ongoing conflict between their parents, they are at significant risk for social, academic and mental health problems, and may experience more difficulty with their own intimate relationships in the long term. Parenting coordination can help to reduce parents’ conflict and may shield children from exposure to their parents’ disagreements. The Parenting Coordinator can help parents resolve child-related issues in a timely manner without court involvement and can protect and sustain safe, healthy and meaningful parent-child relationships. Most importantly, the Parenting Coordinator can help parents focus on the best interests of their children, rather than on their anger toward one another.
Parenting Coordination: WHEN?
Parenting Coordination is appropriate for high conflict cases dealing with child-related issues, such as when there is a high rate of litigation, especially concerning the implementation of a
custody order or parenting plan; mediation has not been successful or has been deemed inappropriate; parents need assistance developing, modifying or implementing their
parenting plan; parents have difficulty communicating information about their child’s welfare; parenting are unable to agree on substantive issues concerning their child; there are complex child-related or family issues that require intensive case managing; and parents can afford to pay for the Parenting Coordinator’s services or the services can be provided at no expense. Parenting Coordination is not for cases in which it has been determined that the process may compromise the
safety of parents of the minor children.
Parenting Coordination: WHAT?
Parenting Coordination is an alternative dispute resolution process combining assessment, education, case management, conflict resolution and, sometimes, decision-making functions. A Parenting Coordinator (PC) is typically appointed by a court order or private consent agreement to help parents implement, modify and comply with the parenting plan. PCs assist parents by providing: (1) education about co-parenting and parental
communication; (2) the psychological and developmental needs of the children; (3) strategies to manage conflict and reduce the negative effects on children; and (4) effective post-separation parenting. To further assist parents and children, PCs facilitate referrals to community providers when necessary and collaborate with other professionals who may already be involved with the family. Some jurisdictions have statutes or court rules that regulate Parenting Coordination. Therefore, certain aspects of the Parenting Coordination role may vary in different jurisdictions. For instance, in some courts the Parenting Coordination process is confidential; in others, the PC may report to the court. In some areas, a PC can also help parents create their parenting plan and can make recommendations and/or decisions for the parents as specified in the court order or agreement. Any decisions made by the PC are subject to the review of the court, which is an important safeguard to the process. PCs should be aware of, and explain to parents, any laws and local rules of practice.
Parenting Coordination: HOW?
The process of entering Parenting Coordination varies amongst jurisdictions. Sometimes, the judge will sign a court order mandating Parenting Coordination; in other instances, the consent of the parties is necessary.
When the judge appoints the PC, the length of time that the PC will serve is often limited, such as to a term of one or two years.
Some courts maintain a roster of PCs, who meet specific qualifications, to provide Parenting Coordination. In other courts the PC simply needs to be approved by the court or agreed upon by the parents. In some jurisdictions PCs may be available at low or no cost. You may obtain more information about having a PC appointed to your case from your local court, your
attorney, or other family law professional in your area.
Parenting Coordination: WHO?
Since PCs are appointed in high conflict cases, their qualifications are particularly important. The Associated of Family and Conciliation Courts’ Guidelines for Parenting Coordination recommend that PCs have specialized
psychological knowledge, relevant legal knowledge and significant experience working with high-conflict divorce and parent separation cases. PCs should also have experience with mediation and specific training in Parenting Coordination. Depending on the jurisdiction, the PC may be required to be licensed as a mental health professional, psychologist or attorney, or certified as a family mediator. The PC may be required to have a specific number of years of experience working with high conflict families. To avoid a potential conflict of interest, it is best to choose a PC who has not worked with the family in the past and will not work with the family in the future in any role other than Parenting Coordinator, such as a custody evaluator, mediator, therapist, financial advisor, attorney, or guardian ad litem.
The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) is a professional membership association that offers
support and guidance to parenting coordinators. More information, including the AFCC Guidelines for
Parenting Coordination, is available on the AFCC website at www.afccnet.org.
From materials developed by Family Court Services, 11 th
County, Florida.
Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade
Developed by Linda Fieldstone, Christine Coates, Robin Deutsch, Matthew Sullivan and Robin Belcher-Timme
(2011).
© 2003 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.
All rights reserved.
Copyright 2026 Association Of Family And Conciliation Courts |
Do you offer in-person sessions?
I see children only face to face in an office setting when they are included in one of the processes discussed on this website. I only do online work with adults which has proved to be very convenient and effective.
How long is a typical session?
Intake sessions are generally 90 minutes long and the rest of the meetings in all 4 areas in which I work are usually 2 hours in length..
What are your credentials?
Other than the formal education that I have that is noted elsewhere in this website, I have extensive and ongoing training in all of the 4 areas in which I practice. I attend both international and local conferences regularly and keep up to date by reading articles/books and watching webinars all to do with my chosen area of practice.
How do I start the process?
Emailing me or my assistant is the best way to contact me.
What Mediation Is and Is Not.
Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process where a neutral third party helps people in conflict communicate openly, explore options, and work toward a mutually acceptable agreement. It is cooperative rather than adversarial, empowering participants to make their own decisions. Mediation does not involve the mediator making judgments, offering legal advice, or imposing solutions. It is not a substitute for legal representation or a court proceeding, and participation is not binding unless both parties agree to a settlement in writing.
What is Arbitration?
Arbitration is a private dispute resolution process where an impartial arbitrator makes binding decisions on issues agreed upon by the parties. It is not a court proceeding, and it is typically less formal and more flexible than litigation. The process is governed by the Arbitration Act of Alberta, which sets out the rules and standards for how arbitration is conducted. Arbitration is not mediation or negotiation; while it provides a structured framework for resolving disputes, the arbitrator’s decision is final and enforceable, unlike the voluntary agreements reached in mediation.
What is Mediation/Arbitration?
Mediation-Arbitration (Med-Arb) is a hybrid process that contains both mediation and arbitration. Attempts to deal with all matters through mediation first are made. Failing agreement the process moves to arbitration where the coparents get a decision made about their parenting matters. Decisions about when to move from mediation to arbitration are usually jointly made. Decisions about the arbitration process are usually jointly made.
What are your Fees?
Fees for all services usually follow the guidelines set out by the Psychologists' Association of Alberta. Psychologists do not charge GST. Alternative Dispute Resolution Fees such as these are usually more cost effective than litigation costs.
Fees for Mediation are $400.00 per hourFees for Arbitration are $425.00 per hour.Fees for Parenting Coordination are $425.00 per hour.Fees for Practice Note 7 work are $425.00 per hour.
Fees for Mediation are $400.00 per hourFees for Arbitration are $425.00 per hour.Fees for Parenting Coordination are $425.00 per hour.Fees for Practice Note 7 work are $425.00 per hour.
How do I pay?
Fees for Parenting Coordination, Mediation and Arbitration are usually charged to your charge card (that is kept on file) on the day that you have a meeting. A receipt is sent out to you electronically usually on the same day. You may be able to claim such charges through your extended health benefits.
Additionally, for the above 3 processes, I require a retainer fee of between $500.00 and $1,000.00 from each co-parent, depending on the process and the complexity of your situation. Such monies are used for administration time. Co-parents can get an accounting of administrative time by contacting my assistant. Should the retainer fund be depleted it needs to be replenished. When the process ends, any remaining funds will be reimbursed in a timely manner.
Fees for Practice Note 7 work, the number of hours to be spent is set out at the beginning and the retainer funds for all the work are due prior to the start of meetings.
Additionally, for the above 3 processes, I require a retainer fee of between $500.00 and $1,000.00 from each co-parent, depending on the process and the complexity of your situation. Such monies are used for administration time. Co-parents can get an accounting of administrative time by contacting my assistant. Should the retainer fund be depleted it needs to be replenished. When the process ends, any remaining funds will be reimbursed in a timely manner.
Fees for Practice Note 7 work, the number of hours to be spent is set out at the beginning and the retainer funds for all the work are due prior to the start of meetings.
What happens after I contact you via email?
Brief Description of the Process
1.Contact is initiated with Dr. Pickering either by one or both lawyers or directly by a parent seeking services.
2.An initial online consultation is held with both the referring lawyer and opposing counsel or the two parents to discuss the situation and provide an overview of the PN7 process.
3.If the parents are the first point of contact and they have indicated that they wish to proceed, a consultation takes place with the two lawyers to gather background information and to review and discuss the contents of the Court Order that is required for services other than mediation.
4.Once a Court Order is in place, Service Agreements are prepared and sent out for signature by both parents, with assistance of their respective lawyers. When the signed Agreements are returned along with the retainer funds, the initial individual Intake meetings of usually 90 minutes are scheduled with each co-parent.
5. For mediation, the mediation agreement is sent out and once it is signed, returned along with the retainer funds, the initial intake appointments of usually 90 minutes are scheduled with each co-parent. It is advised that co-parents have their mediation agreements reviewed by their lawyers prior to signature.