A parenting plan is a legal document that clearly describes how the parents will divide custody of shared children after a divorce. All couples who have a child together must create a detailed parenting plan that governs custody arrangements until the child comes of age.
What to Include in Your Parenting Plan
Parenting plans focus on much more than just questions of joint custody and sole custody. Instead, they create a framework for co-parenting and for solving child-related problems together after divorce. These plans usually include provisions for physical custody as well as legal custody and must be structured in a way that is in the best interests of the child.
A parenting plan should provide a clear guide to:
Which days and the length of time the child will spend with each parent every year
How summer and winter holidays will be spent with each parent / grandparent (including travel times, and who is responsible for transport)
Dates and times of child pick-up and drop-off (and which parent is responsible for transport)
Visitation schedules for parents and extended family members without custody
Extracurricular activities for each child, and who will pay these costs
Observance or preservation of the family’s (or child’s) religious beliefs
Protocol for handling any cancellations or postponements of custody
Protocol for traveling out of state with the child
