A parenting plan is an agreement between parents about how they
will co-parent their child(ren). A general example follows. You should
customize the plan to meet your the needs of your child(ren).
1. Legal Custody. The parties are awarded
joint legal custody of the minor child [Name of Child], born [Birth date of
Child]. In exercising joint legal custody, the parties shall cooperate and agree
in making decisions on the following matters:
a. Enrollment or termination in a particular private or
public school;
b. Beginning or ending the regular practice of a
religion;
c. Commencement of psychiatric, psychological, or other
such mental health counseling or therapy;
d. Authorizing minor's driving license;
e. Change of the child's principal residence;
f. Passport applications;
g. Enrollment in regular occurring extra-curricular
activities; and
h. Non-emergency medical/dental treatment other than
routine checkups.
2. Neither party shall use or make any disparaging or derogatory
remarks about the absent parent in the presence of or within the hearing of the
children.
3. Each party shall keep the other party informed of his or her
current address and telephone number and those of the children and the name and
address of the children's school and/or daycare provider and shall notify the
other within 2 days of any change of address or telephone number.
4. Except upon prior agreement, each parent shall carefully avoid
the scheduling or arranging of activities for the children which are likely to
conflict with periods of time allocated to the other parent.
5. In emergency situations, each parent is authorized to take any
and all actions necessary to protect the health and welfare of the children
including, but not limited to, consent to EMERGENCY surgical procedures or
treatment and to notify the other parent with 2 hours of such emergency and of
all procedures or treatment administered to the children.
6. Each party shall notify the other sufficiently in advance of any
planned activity of the children in order to enable the other parent to attend.
7. Each party shall notify the other of the name and address of
each health practitioner who examines or treats the minor children, such
notifications to be made within 7 days of the commencement of the first such
treatment or examination.
8. The parties shall confer in good faith on educational and
religious training, and other aspects of the health and welfare of the children.
9. Physical Custody. Petitioner is awarded primary physical custody
of the minor child [Name of Child], born [Birth date of Child]. Respondent is
awarded custody of the child as follows:
a. On alternate weekends from after school Friday until 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, commencing March 31, 2000.
b. On Wednesday afternoons from after school until 8:00 p.m. each
Wednesday.
c. Such other times as the parties mutually agree.
10. Holiday and Vacation Schedule. Holidays shall take priority over
the regular custody plan and the vacation schedule.
a. Mother's Day and Mother's Birthday. The child shall be with
Petitioner each year on both her birthday and on Mother's Day, at least for such
period of time as will not interfere with school hours or reasonable bedtime.
b. Father's Day and Father's Birthday. The child shall be with
Respondent each year on both his birthday and on Father's Day, at least for such
period of time as will not interfere with school hours or reasonable bedtime.
c. Child's Birthday. The parties shall equally share the minor
child's birthday.
d. Martin Luther King Holiday. Petitioner shall have the;minor
child of the parties on Martin Luther King Day in even numbered years and
Respondent shall have the minor child in odd numbered years.
e. President's Day. Petitioner shall have the ;minor child of
the parties on President's Day in odd numbered years and Respondent shall have
the minor child in even numbered years.
f. Spring Break. The parties shall share custody of Casey
equally during Spring Break.
g. Easter Sunday. Petitioner shall have the minor child on
Easter Sunday in even numbered years and Respondent shall have the minor child
in odd numbered years.
h. Memorial Day Weekend. Petitioner shall have the minor child
on Memorial Day weekend in odd numbered years and Respondent shall have the
child in even numbered years.
i. Fourth of July. Petitioner shall have the minor child on the
Fourth of July in even numbered years and Respondent shall have the minor child
in odd numbered years.
j. Thanksgiving. Petitioner shall have the minor child on
Thanksgiving Day from 10:00 a.m. until the following Sunday at 6:00 p.m. in odd
numbered years and Respondent shall have the minor child for this time in even
numbered years.
k. Winter Break. Petitioner shall have physical custody of the
minor child the second week of Winter Break in the year 2001 and all odd
numbered years and Respondent shall have physical custody of the minor child the
first week in the year 2001 and all odd numbered years. The first week shall be
defined as the day after school closes for Winter Break until 10:00 a.m.
Christmas Day. The second week shall be defined as from 10:00 a.m. Christmas Day
until 6:00 p.m. the day before school commences after Winter Break. If the
number of days before Christmas Day are not equal to the number of days after
Christmas Day, Petitioner and Respondent shall decide by mutual agreement how to
share the extra days.
