What goes into a parenting plan
A parenting plan is the document you’ll read most after a divorce. A good one answers the question before the argument starts.
Courts ask separating parents for a written plan. The form looks simple. The hard part is being specific enough that two tired parents can follow it on a Sunday night.
The regular schedule
Start with an ordinary two weeks. Which nights are with which parent, and when exactly does the handoff happen? “After school on Friday” works better than “the weekend.”
Holidays and summers
- Thanksgiving and winter break, alternating or split
- Birthdays, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
- Spring break and the weeks of summer
- Travel out of state, and how much notice it needs
Decisions
Who chooses the school, the doctor and the activities? Many plans share these decisions, with a way to break a tie. Write down how you’ll tell each other about report cards and appointments.
Where plans come apart
Vague handoff times, no plan for a new job or a move, and no rule about how the parents talk. Each of these is easier to settle now than in a hearing later.
If a plan needs a phone call to explain it, it needs another draft.