Parenting Plan
Drafts an enforceable parenting plan tailored to jurisdiction requirements, party circumstances, and the child's best interests.
Prerequisites
Gather before drafting:
- Jurisdiction — filing state (controls terminology, presumptions, required forms)
- Parties — full legal names, addresses, children's names/DOBs
- Case info — court, case number, related proceedings
- Existing orders — prior custody/temporary orders, mediation recommendations
- Preferences — desired arrangement, work schedules, geographic constraints
- Financials — income data, insurance coverage, existing support orders
Quick Start
- Confirm jurisdiction → research state statutes, terminology, and model plan forms
- Collect party information and existing orders
- Draft custody framework (legal + physical) using state-preferred terms
- Build detailed parenting time schedule with specific days/times/locations
- Allocate decision-making authority by category
- Add financial, relocation, travel, and dispute resolution provisions
- Include execution blocks with jurisdiction-specific requirements
Plan Sections
1. Parties and Case Information
Include parents (names, addresses), children (names, DOBs), court details, and any jurisdiction-required identifiers (DL numbers, partial SSNs).
2. Custody Framework
Draft legal custody and physical custody separately:
- Legal custody — joint or sole; if joint, specify categories requiring mutual agreement vs. independent decision and tie-breaking mechanisms
- Physical custody — primary or joint; designate primary residential parent if applicable
- Research state presumptions (many presume joint legal custody)
- Use jurisdiction's preferred terminology ("parenting time," "time-sharing," "custody," "residential schedule")
3. Parenting Time Schedule
Address each with specific days, times, and locations:
| Category |
Specify |
| Regular weekly |
Days/overnights with each parent |
| Weekends |
Alternating pattern, pickup/return times |
| Midweek visits |
Day, pickup/dropoff times |
| Summer |
Division method, notice requirements |
| School breaks |
Fall, winter, spring — alternating by year |
| Holidays |
Two-year rotation (A/B alternating pattern) |
| Birthdays |
Child's, each parent's, Mother's/Father's Day |
| Special days |
Cultural/religious observances |
Holiday rotation: Create an even-year/odd-year table covering major holidays (New Year's, MLK, Presidents' Day, Spring Break, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Break 1st/2nd half).
Exchange logistics: Specify location (school, residence, neutral site), transportation responsibility, and late pickup/no-show protocol.
4. Decision-Making Allocation
| Category |
Subcategories |
Authority |
| Education |
School selection, special ed, tutoring, extracurriculars |
Joint / Sole |
| Healthcare |
Routine, emergency, mental health, dental, vision |
Joint / Sole |
| Religious |
Upbringing, participation, ceremonies |
Joint / Sole |
| Extracurriculars |
Sports, arts, camps |
Joint / Sole |
Include consultation timeline for major decisions (e.g., 30 days' written notice), emergency unilateral action definition, and escalation path before court.
5. Communication Protocols
- Parent-child contact — phone/video schedule when with other parent; age-appropriate tech guidelines
- Record access — both parents' rights to school/medical records (cite FERPA for education)
- Co-parent communication — method (email, co-parenting app), response times (routine: 48 hrs; urgent: 24 hrs; emergency: immediate)
6. Financial Provisions
- Child support — reference state guidelines; specify payor, amount, frequency, payment method
- Shared expenses — allocation table covering uncovered medical/dental, insurance premiums, childcare, school expenses, extracurricular fees with split ratios and reimbursement deadlines (typically 30 days)
- Documentation — requirements for reimbursement requests
7. Relocation Provisions
- Notice — state-mandated period (typically 30–90 days) and distance threshold
- Contents — new address, move date, proposed revised schedule, reason
- Objection — timeline and method for non-moving parent
- Burden of proof — applicable standard (varies by state)
8. Travel
- Advance notice for out-of-state travel (typically 14–30 days)
- Itinerary and contact sharing requirements
- Passport possession and international travel consent
- If abduction risk: UCCJEA references [VERIFY], ne exeat provisions, passport surrender
9. Dispute Resolution
Mandatory escalation sequence:
- Good-faith negotiation (14 days)
- Mediation — selection process, cost split, timeline
- Parenting coordinator (if jurisdiction recognizes)
- Court petition — emergencies or ADR exhaustion only
10. Modification and Review
- Standard: substantial change in circumstances affecting child's best interests
- Optional: scheduled review at developmental milestones (school entry, adolescence)
- All modifications must follow state filing requirements
11. Execution and Filing
- Signature blocks for both parents with dates
- Jurisdiction-specific requirements: notarization, witnesses, attorney certification
- Effective date clause; "subject to court approval" if required
- Attach mandatory state cover sheets, certifications, or declarations
Pitfalls
- Vague language kills enforceability — use specific dates, times, deadlines; never "reasonable time"
- Jurisdiction mismatch — always research filing state statutes and terminology before drafting; many states publish model plans
- Generic boilerplate — incorporate actual party facts (work schedules, geography, prior arrangements)
- Age-inappropriate schedules — infant/toddler plans differ significantly from adolescent plans; adjust for developmental stage
- Advocacy tone — draft as bilateral agreement, not adversarial; avoid characterizing either parent
- FRE 408 — if part of settlement negotiations, include confidentiality language
- Unverified citations — mark any unconfirmed statutory reference with
[VERIFY]
1---2name: parenting-plan3description: Drafts jurisdiction-compliant parenting plans covering custody frameworks, time-sharing schedules, decision-making allocation, financial provisions, relocation, and dispute resolution. Adapts terminology and structure to state-specific statutory requirements. Use when drafting custody agreements, parenting time schedules, time-sharing plans, or co-parenting arrangements in family law proceedings.4---5
6# Parenting Plan
7
8Drafts an enforceable parenting plan tailored to jurisdiction requirements, party circumstances, and the child's best interests.
9
10## Prerequisites
11
12Gather before drafting:
13
141. **Jurisdiction** — filing state (controls terminology, presumptions, required forms)
152. **Parties** — full legal names, addresses, children's names/DOBs
163. **Case info** — court, case number, related proceedings
174. **Existing orders** — prior custody/temporary orders, mediation recommendations
185. **Preferences** — desired arrangement, work schedules, geographic constraints
196. **Financials** — income data, insurance coverage, existing support orders
20
21## Quick Start
22
231. Confirm jurisdiction → research state statutes, terminology, and model plan forms
242. Collect party information and existing orders
253. Draft custody framework (legal + physical) using state-preferred terms
264. Build detailed parenting time schedule with specific days/times/locations
275. Allocate decision-making authority by category
286. Add financial, relocation, travel, and dispute resolution provisions
297. Include execution blocks with jurisdiction-specific requirements
30
31## Plan Sections
32
33### 1. Parties and Case Information
34
35Include parents (names, addresses), children (names, DOBs), court details, and any jurisdiction-required identifiers (DL numbers, partial SSNs).
36
37### 2. Custody Framework
38
39Draft **legal custody** and **physical custody** separately:
40
41- **Legal custody** — joint or sole; if joint, specify categories requiring mutual agreement vs. independent decision and tie-breaking mechanisms
42- **Physical custody** — primary or joint; designate primary residential parent if applicable
43- Research state presumptions (many presume joint legal custody)
44- Use jurisdiction's preferred terminology ("parenting time," "time-sharing," "custody," "residential schedule")
45
46### 3. Parenting Time Schedule
47
48Address each with **specific days, times, and locations**:
49
50| Category | Specify |
51|---|---|
52| Regular weekly | Days/overnights with each parent |
53| Weekends | Alternating pattern, pickup/return times |
54| Midweek visits | Day, pickup/dropoff times |
55| Summer | Division method, notice requirements |
56| School breaks | Fall, winter, spring — alternating by year |
57| Holidays | Two-year rotation (A/B alternating pattern) |
58| Birthdays | Child's, each parent's, Mother's/Father's Day |
59| Special days | Cultural/religious observances |
60
61**Holiday rotation:** Create an even-year/odd-year table covering major holidays (New Year's, MLK, Presidents' Day, Spring Break, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Break 1st/2nd half).
62
63**Exchange logistics:** Specify location (school, residence, neutral site), transportation responsibility, and late pickup/no-show protocol.
64
65### 4. Decision-Making Allocation
66
67| Category | Subcategories | Authority |
68|---|---|---|
69| Education | School selection, special ed, tutoring, extracurriculars | Joint / Sole |
70| Healthcare | Routine, emergency, mental health, dental, vision | Joint / Sole |
71| Religious | Upbringing, participation, ceremonies | Joint / Sole |
72| Extracurriculars | Sports, arts, camps | Joint / Sole |
73
74Include consultation timeline for major decisions (e.g., 30 days' written notice), emergency unilateral action definition, and escalation path before court.
75
76### 5. Communication Protocols
77
78- **Parent-child contact** — phone/video schedule when with other parent; age-appropriate tech guidelines
79- **Record access** — both parents' rights to school/medical records (cite FERPA for education)
80- **Co-parent communication** — method (email, co-parenting app), response times (routine: 48 hrs; urgent: 24 hrs; emergency: immediate)
81
82### 6. Financial Provisions
83
84- **Child support** — reference state guidelines; specify payor, amount, frequency, payment method
85- **Shared expenses** — allocation table covering uncovered medical/dental, insurance premiums, childcare, school expenses, extracurricular fees with split ratios and reimbursement deadlines (typically 30 days)
86- **Documentation** — requirements for reimbursement requests
87
88### 7. Relocation Provisions
89
90- **Notice** — state-mandated period (typically 30–90 days) and distance threshold
91- **Contents** — new address, move date, proposed revised schedule, reason
92- **Objection** — timeline and method for non-moving parent
93- **Burden of proof** — applicable standard (varies by state)
94
95### 8. Travel
96
97- Advance notice for out-of-state travel (typically 14–30 days)
98- Itinerary and contact sharing requirements
99- Passport possession and international travel consent
100- If abduction risk: UCCJEA references [VERIFY], ne exeat provisions, passport surrender
101
102### 9. Dispute Resolution
103
104Mandatory escalation sequence:
105
1061. Good-faith negotiation (14 days)
1072. Mediation — selection process, cost split, timeline
1083. Parenting coordinator (if jurisdiction recognizes)
1094. Court petition — emergencies or ADR exhaustion only
110
111### 10. Modification and Review
112
113- Standard: substantial change in circumstances affecting child's best interests
114- Optional: scheduled review at developmental milestones (school entry, adolescence)
115- All modifications must follow state filing requirements
116
117### 11. Execution and Filing
118
119- Signature blocks for both parents with dates
120- Jurisdiction-specific requirements: notarization, witnesses, attorney certification
121- Effective date clause; "subject to court approval" if required
122- Attach mandatory state cover sheets, certifications, or declarations
123
124## Pitfalls
125
126- **Vague language kills enforceability** — use specific dates, times, deadlines; never "reasonable time"
127- **Jurisdiction mismatch** — always research filing state statutes and terminology before drafting; many states publish model plans
128- **Generic boilerplate** — incorporate actual party facts (work schedules, geography, prior arrangements)
129- **Age-inappropriate schedules** — infant/toddler plans differ significantly from adolescent plans; adjust for developmental stage
130- **Advocacy tone** — draft as bilateral agreement, not adversarial; avoid characterizing either parent
131- **FRE 408** — if part of settlement negotiations, include confidentiality language
132- **Unverified citations** — mark any unconfirmed statutory reference with `[VERIFY]`
CaseMark