A parenting plan is a legally binding document that outlines how parents will work together to raise their children upon divorce or separation. It specifies how parents will spend their time with the children, how decisions will be made, and how the children will be cared for day-to-day. Importantly, when a parenting plan is thorough and comprehensive, it can reduce the risk for contentious disputes that may lead to litigation.
Although the following list is not exhaustive, below are ten crucial provisions to include in your parenting plan:
The foundation of every parenting plan is the parenting time schedule. When parents share custody, they will need to decide how many days a week the child will spend with each of them. You and your co-parent might alternate days, choose a four-day three-day schedule, or alternate full weeks.
The parenting time schedule should also address the following special occasions:
In addition, the document should plan for any unexpected changes to the parenting time schedule. For instance, what will happen if a parent is late or misses a visit? The plan can allow for makeup time or rescheduling.
If you and your co-parent have joint legal custody, you will need to determine who is permitted to make decisions for the children. How parents will make important decisions regarding their children’s education, healthcare, and religious upbringing is a vital component of a parenting plan.
A good parenting plan will not only include information about custody, but it will also outline how custody exchanges will be made. For instance, you must decide whether the exchanges will take place in a public location, or you and your co-parent will pick up and drop off the children from each other’s homes. In cases involving long-distance parenting, the mode of transportation the children use should be specified — as well as who will pay for the costs associated with travel.
Out-of-area travel with the children is vital to address in a parenting plan. Questions to consider can include whether parents need permission to travel long distances with the children and how much advance notice must be provided.
When addressing education arrangements in a parenting plan, you can outline things like the school the children will attend, how parents will receive report cards from the school, and each parent’s participation in meetings and activities. If the children will be attending a private school, parents can specify how the tuition cost will be divided.
When it comes to discipline, it’s essential to be consistent in each home so children know what is expected of them. Parents must be on the same page regarding the disciplinary measures they will use when they have parenting time. The plan should also specify how further action will be handled if a problem requires additional discipline.
There are many different types of emergencies that can occur, whether they are medical emergencies, unexpected meetings, car problems, or other issues that could impact parenting time. A parenting plan should address how each parent will be notified if such an occurrence arises and include details concerning how custody will be shared in the event of an emergency.
Addressing financial responsibility for expenses related to the children can be complex. Even if you have entered into a child support arrangement, a good parenting plan should include a provision regarding how major expenses related to the children will be handled. Such expenses can include education, medical care, and extracurricular activities. It’s best to also specify a system for dividing any random expenses that might be incurred for the benefit of the children.
It’s important for a child to build strong emotional bonds with both their parents — and staying in touch is key. When a parent is not with their children, they should be able to communicate with them. Phone calls, FaceTime, and texting are all ways a parent can keep in contact with their children when they do not have parenting time.
Whether you get along with your former partner or not, you will need to communicate about the children. Your parenting plan should specify how often you will communicate, what you will communicate about, and the method used for communication. If you and your co-parent are contentious, you might consider limiting communication to e-mail or using a co-parenting app.
Having a solid parenting plan in place is vital to help ensure the best interests of your child are met — and conflicts are kept to a minimum between co-parents. At Duke Law Firm, P.C., we provide our clients with reliable representation and compassionate counsel for child custody matters, including the creation of parenting plans. Offering personalized legal services to each of our clients, we welcome you to contact us today to schedule a consultation to learn how we can help.
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