What goes in a parenting plan
A parenting plan is the one document both of you will read at 8am on a school morning. Here is what it should say.
Courts differ on the form, but a plan a judge can sign usually covers the same six things. Write each one down, even where you already agree.
1. The weekly schedule
Name the nights, not the percentages. “Tuesday after school to Thursday morning, every week” can be followed. “About 40 percent” cannot.
2. Holidays and school breaks
List each holiday and which parent has it in which year. Say when a break begins and ends: the last bell, or noon the next day.
3. Exchanges
Where, when and who drives. A neutral place such as a school or a library lobby keeps handoffs short.
4. Decisions
Who decides about school, doctors and religion, and whether both of you must agree or only be told.
5. Communication
How you will talk about the children, how fast to answer, and how a child reaches the other parent. A shared email thread beats a text chain you will have to print.
6. Changes
What happens when a schedule changes, a parent moves or a job shifts. Many plans say: ask in writing, answer within two days, and meet with a mediator before going back to court.
The parts parents forget
Passports and travel, who keeps the child’s insurance card, and what a child does when they are sick on the other parent’s day.
Bring a draft to your screening. A plan you have started is the quickest way to see where the real disagreement is.