Reapportionment of Parenting Coordination Fees in British Columbia

Apr 20, 2026·By Cori McGuire

Why Warnings and Cost Allocation Are Required for Fairness, Not Punishment

Parents sometimes experience concern or frustration when warned that Parenting Coordination fees may be reapportioned, including the cost of a determination. These concerns usually arise from a misunderstanding of what reapportionment is and why it exists.

Reapportionment of fees, and the warnings that accompany it, are not punitive. They are essential tools that allow Parenting Coordination to function fairly, efficiently, and in a way that protects children from ongoing conflict.

Parenting Coordination is a structured, child‑focused dispute‑resolution process designed to implement existing parenting orders or agreements and to resolve day‑to‑day parenting issues. It is not therapy, mediation, or litigation. Its effectiveness depends on parents following the Communication Agreement, engaging in timely, proposal‑based discussions, and participating in good faith in consensus‑building efforts.

When that process is followed, most issues can be resolved without escalation. When it is not, additional Parenting Coordination time is required, and that time necessarily has a cost.

Under the BC Parenting Coordinator Roster standard participation agreement, parents generally share fees equally at the outset. However, that equal sharing is not absolute. Clause 10.02 of the agreement states:

“Subject to the terms of the Authorizing Instruments, or any subsequent Order of the Court or ruling of an Arbitrator, the Parents will share the Parenting Coordinator’s fees, disbursements and other charges equally and the Parenting Coordinator has the discretion to reapportion the payment of fees, disbursements and other charges between the Parents where the Parenting Coordinator determines it is appropriate.”

Fees are therefore governed first by the appointing court order or agreement, and second by the participation agreement itself. Reapportionment is not an exception to the process; it is an expressly contemplated feature of it.

Reapportionment does not involve findings of fault, moral judgment, or punishment. It is a method of allocating Parenting Coordination time and expense in proportion to how the process is being used. When one parent’s conduct results in delay, repetition, refusal to engage in consensus, resistance to agreed procedures, or escalation that makes a determination necessary, the additional time required may be reapportioned so that one parent is not required to subsidize the other’s non‑compliance with the process.

Warnings about possible reapportionment are not threats. They are part of procedural fairness. A warning explains how current conduct is affecting the process, gives the parent an opportunity to adjust their engagement, and avoids surprise cost consequences later. In high‑conflict parenting situations, ambiguity often fuels power struggles. Clear warnings reduce conflict by making expectations and consequences transparent.

Parenting Coordination prioritizes agreement wherever possible. Determinations are intended to be a last resort. However, when a determination is required because one parent refuses to engage in consensus without reasonable basis, withholds agreement after explanations have been provided, re‑argues settled process issues, or uses delay or non‑response as leverage, the cost of that determination may be reapportioned. This can include time spent reviewing submissions, analyzing options, applying best‑interest considerations, and drafting and issuing the determination. Reapportionment in these circumstances reflects process use, not the outcome.

Parents sometimes point to events that occurred before Parenting Coordination began, such as unilateral decisions or past disputes. While those events may provide background, they do not govern cost allocation once Parenting Coordination is in place. After the process begins, parents are expected to follow the Communication Agreement, raise concerns promptly and constructively, and participate in good‑faith efforts toward resolution. If current conduct causes delay, repetition, or avoidable determinations, the resulting costs arise from that conduct, not from historical events.

Reapportionment decisions are guided by the best interests of the child. Avoidable determinations increase conflict exposure and financial strain. By encouraging cooperation, timely engagement, and efficient resolution, reapportionment supports stability and reduces the likelihood that parenting resources will be consumed by unnecessary disputes.

Reapportionment may occur where a parent requires repeated coaching on the same issue, rejects explanations and re‑litigates settled process points, refuses to sign reasonable consensus without justification, or forces determinations that could reasonably have been avoided. Reapportionment may be partial or full, may apply to coaching time, dispute‑resolution time, and determination time, and may be revisited if engagement improves.

Parents can reduce the risk of reapportionment by following the Communication Agreement, making clear and timely proposals, engaging genuinely in consensus efforts, accepting explanations once provided, and focusing on present decisions rather than past grievances.

The bottom line is this: reapportionment of Parenting Coordination fees, including the cost of determinations, is not punitive. It is a fairness mechanism grounded in the appointing order or agreement and the standard participation contract. It is how Parenting Coordination remains balanced, transparent, and workable when cooperation breaks down, and how the process continues to serve the child’s need for stability rather than ongoing conflict.

Written by Cori L. McGuire, a Parenting Coordinator since 2008 and a family law lawyer since 1998 in British Columbia. Cori has many other articles on the parenting coordination process including: Parenting Coordination Recommendations: What They Are and Why They Matter, The "Last Chance" Review: Why I Might Send a Handout Right Before a Decision and What Happens to Determinations When a New Parenting Coordinator Is Appointed? Further reading by subject is found in our Resource Library.