Parenting Plan

When women include a parenting plan in their divorce papers, they can avoid many power struggles by laying out how the details of the children's lives are handled. While it may not seem important now, it can save headaches in the future if there are disputes. This allows both parties to feel secure about how the children are being raised, and helps relieves some anxiety on the fathers part.

Some items that you should consider putting in your parenting plan are:

1. Both parents shall have access to medical records and have authority to make emergency medical decisions

2. The continuation of the children’s recreational activities should be included in your parenting plan, regardless of who has custody.

3. Equal access for both parents to school records, teachers, and activities.

4. Which parent will be responsible for expenses and insurance of the children.

5. A visitation schedule including when and how many times per month the children will stay with the non-custodial parent. (This is a very important inclusion in a parenting plan)

6. How and where the children will be dropped off, and notification of any changes regarding times and places.

7. For what period of time the children will stay with the non-custodial parent over summer vacations.

8. Visitation schedule for holidays ( Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, and birthdays). A workable solution in your parenting plan is for the father to have the children on Thanksgiving and the mother have the children on Christmas one year, then alternating the next year. Common courtesy dictates that the children should be with their father on Fathers Day and with the mother on Mothers Day. For a child’s birthday, meeting at a public facility seems to work the best, as each parent is on neutral ground.

9. How long-distance travel will be paid for and handled if one parent lives a long distance away.

10. Each parent shall inform the other of any changes of address or telephone number as part of your parenting plan agreement.

11. Your parenting plan should include restrictions on the use of illegal drugs and involving the children in inappropriate situations.

12. The children shall be shielded from disagreements between parents.

13. Inclusion of the Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction Act in your parenting plan.

14. Provisions for registering with the state child support division.

15. Provisions for delinquent child support should be included in your parenting plan.

For more information about parenting plans and how to handle the issues that will arise after divorce, refer to The Co-Parenting Survival Guide: Letting Go of Conflict after a Difficult Divorce. This book helps parents in the aftermath of divorce learn to sustain a healthy co-parenting relationship, with ideas for solving day-to-day problems, disciplining, and handling conflict during transitional times and special events.

To help you keep track of the child support and visitation frequency after everything is settled, you might consider using software such as the Custody Toolbox. It makes it easy to organize all your important custody-related information. For more insight into custody and visitation, check out the following articles:

Parenting Time Visitation Schedule
Parenting Plan Template
Using A Parenting Time Calendar
Creating A Child Visitation Schedule
The Basics of a Child Custody Agreement
More Articles about Children

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