Developing a Parenting Plan
What to Include in a Parenting Plan
- Custody Schedule: Clearly define where the child will live and when they will spend time with each parent (e.g., weekdays with one parent, weekends with another, alternating holidays).
- Decision-Making Responsibilities:
- Who decides on major issues like education, healthcare, and extracurricular activities?
- Communication Guidelines:
- Outline how parents will communicate about the child (e.g., email, apps like OurFamilyWizard).
- Flexibility: Include a mechanism for revisiting and modifying the plan as children grow or circumstances change.
Types of Custody Arrangements
Legal Custody
- Refers to the right to make major decisions about the child’s life (e.g., education, healthcare, religion).
- Can be joint (shared by both parents) or sole (one parent makes decisions).
Physical Custody
- Refers to where the child lives.
- Options include:
- Joint Physical Custody: The child spends significant time with both parents.
- Sole Physical Custody: The child lives primarily with one parent, with visitation rights for the other.
Visitation Rights
- Courts often set a visitation schedule if one parent has sole custody.
- Visitation arrangements can include supervised visits in certain cases.