Pippa Colman Family Law Launches Parenting Coordination Services
Left to Right: Hannah McSharer & Tanisha Watts
Pippa Colman Family Law is proud to announce the launch of Parenting Coordination, a new child-focused dispute resolution service available from 14 July 2026.
The introduction of Parenting Coordination marks an important expansion of the firm's Areas of Practice, providing separated families across the Sunshine Coast and North Queensland with practical support to navigate ongoing co-parenting conflict after a Parenting Plan or Court Order has been made.
While reaching a parenting agreement is an important milestone, it is often only the beginning of the co-parenting journey. Many families continue to experience conflict around day-to-day parenting decisions long after legal proceedings have concluded. Parenting Coordination is designed to bridge the gap between an agreement being reached and its practical implementation, helping parents resolve disputes as they arise while reducing the need to return to court.
Although well established internationally, Parenting Coordination is still an emerging area of family dispute resolution in Australia. The service provides structured, ongoing support for families experiencing high levels of conflict, with a focus on improving communication, resolving disagreements constructively and keeping children's best interests at the centre of every decision.
The service will be delivered by Senior Associate Hannah McSharer and Associate Tanisha Watts, who have both recently completed Parenting Coordination training through Parenting Coordination Australia.
Senior Associate and Parenting Coordinator Hannah McSharer said Parenting Coordination addresses an important gap in the family law system by supporting families once legal proceedings have concluded.
"One of the biggest misconceptions is that once Parenting Orders are made, the conflict simply disappears. In reality, that's often when the real work of co-parenting begins.
Parents continue to make hundreds of decisions together as their children grow, and disagreements can arise around schooling, healthcare, holiday arrangements and communication. Parenting Coordination provides practical, structured support to help parents resolve those issues before they escalate into another court application."
Associate and Parenting Coordinator Tanisha Watts said the service is designed to help families move beyond conflict while creating better long-term outcomes for children.
"Research consistently tells us that it isn't separation itself that has the greatest impact on children, it's ongoing exposure to parental conflict.
Our role isn't to determine who is right or wrong or to change Parenting Orders. It's to help parents communicate more effectively, resolve issues as they arise and build healthier co-parenting relationships that support their children over the long term.
Ultimately, the goal is to equip families with the confidence and practical skills they need to manage future challenges independently, while reducing the emotional and financial toll of repeated legal disputes."
Unlike mediation, which generally focuses on resolving a single issue, Parenting Coordination is an ongoing process that typically supports families over a period of 12 to 18 months. Parents may engage a Parenting Coordinator by mutual agreement or be appointed through a Court Order. Throughout the process, Parenting Coordinators assist parents to improve communication, facilitate discussions, interpret and implement existing Parenting Orders, and develop healthier co-parenting practices for the future.
Parenting Coordination may be appropriate where parents continue to experience conflict despite Parenting Orders or agreements being in place, communication has broken down, or children are being exposed to repeated parental disputes. It can assist with disagreements relating to school decisions, medical matters, holiday arrangements, changeovers, extracurricular activities and communication, providing families with a practical alternative to repeated legal proceedings.
The introduction of Parenting Coordination reflects Pippa Colman Family Law's continued commitment to delivering progressive, child-focused family law services that support clients beyond the courtroom. As the firm continues to grow across the Sunshine Coast and North Queensland, it remains focused on helping families achieve practical, sustainable outcomes that put children first.
Left to Right: Tanisha Watts and Hannah McSharer
Learn More About Parenting Coordination
If you're experiencing ongoing co-parenting conflict after separation, Parenting Coordination may provide the practical support you need to move forward.
Our experienced Parenting Coordinators can help you navigate parenting disputes, improve communication and keep your children's best interests at the centre of every decision.
Contact our team today to discuss whether Parenting Coordination is right for your family or learn more about our Parenting Coordination services.