What is a Parenting Plan?

A parenting plan is a written agreement that outlines how separated or divorced parents will share responsibilities and time with their children. Also called a custody agreement or timesharing schedule, a parenting plan covers:

• Physical custody schedule - Where children live and when

• Holiday and vacation schedules - How special days are divided

• Decision-making authority - Who makes major decisions about education, healthcare, and religion

• Communication guidelines - How parents and children stay in touch

• Transportation arrangements - Drop-off/pick-up logistics

• Dispute resolution - How to handle disagreements

Most family courts require parents to submit a parenting plan as part of their divorce or custody case. A clear, detailed plan reduces confusion and conflict while prioritizing your children's stability and wellbeing.

How Our Parenting Plan Generator Works

Our interactive tool guides you through creating a comprehensive parenting plan draft in 8 simple steps:

Step 1: Parent Information Enter names and addresses for both parents to identify the parties involved.

Step 2: Children's Information Add details for each child including names, ages, and birthdates. You can include multiple children in one plan.

Step 3: Custody Arrangement Choose between joint custody, sole custody, or shared physical custody arrangements.

Step 4: Regular Schedule Select from common parenting schedules like alternating weeks, 2-2-3, or 2-2-5-5, or describe your custom arrangement.

Step 5: Holidays & Special Days Decide how you'll split major holidays, birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and other special occasions.

Step 6: School Breaks Plan summer vacation, spring break, winter break, and fall break schedules.

Step 7: Decision-Making & Communication Determine who makes decisions about education, healthcare, religion, and extracurriculars, plus how children communicate with each parent.

Step 8: Transportation & Additional Provisions Set exchange locations, transportation responsibilities, and optional clauses like right of first refusal and relocation notice requirements.

Once complete, you can download or print your draft parenting plan to review, discuss with your co-parent, or use as a starting point when working with an attorney.

Common Parenting Schedule Options

Popular Parenting Schedule Templates

Not sure which custody schedule works best? Here are the most common parenting time arrangements:

Alternating Weeks Schedule (50/50) Children spend one full week with each parent, alternating every Sunday or Monday. This schedule works well for parents who live near each other and children who adapt easily to transitions.

2-2-3 Schedule (50/50)

• Parent 1: Monday-Tuesday

• Parent 2: Wednesday-Thursday

• Alternating weekends: Friday-Sunday

This schedule gives children frequent contact with both parents and consistent weekday routines.

2-2-5-5 Schedule (50/50)

• Parent 1: Monday-Tuesday every week

• Parent 2: Wednesday-Thursday every week

• Alternating 5-day periods: Friday-Tuesday

Children know which parent they're with on which weekdays, with only the weekends alternating.

Every Extended Weekend (70/30) One parent has children during the school week, the other gets Friday after school through Monday morning. This works when parents live further apart or one parent travels frequently for work.

Primary Custody with Visitation Children primarily live with one parent with scheduled visitation times for the other parent (weekends, evenings, holidays). Common when one parent has been the primary caregiver or parents live in different cities.

Our generator includes these templates and allows you to create custom schedules that fit your family's unique needs.

What to Include in Your Parenting Plan

Essential Elements of a Complete Parenting Plan

A thorough parenting plan should address:

1. Regular Custody Schedule Specify which days/nights children are with each parent during a typical week. Include school year and summer schedules if they differ.

2. Holiday Schedule List how you'll divide Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Easter, 4th of July, Labor Day, and any religious or cultural holidays important to your family.

3. Special Days Clarify arrangements for Mother's Day, Father's Day, each child's birthday, and each parent's birthday.

4. School Breaks and Vacations Outline schedules for spring break, winter break, fall break, and summer vacation. Include guidelines for advance notice when taking vacation time.

5. Decision-Making Authority State whether you'll make joint decisions or if one parent has final say regarding:

• Education (school choice, tutoring, special education)

• Healthcare (medical treatment, therapy, dental care)

• Religious upbringing and participation

• Extracurricular activities and expenses

6. Communication Specify how children will communicate with the other parent (phone, video calls, text), how often, and at what times.

7. Transportation and Exchanges Detail pickup/drop-off locations, times, and who is responsible for transportation between homes.

8. Right of First Refusal (Optional) If one parent needs childcare for more than X hours, must they offer the other parent the opportunity to care for the children first?

9. Relocation State how much advance notice is required if either parent plans to move, and how distance will be addressed.

10. Dispute Resolution Agree on how you'll handle disagreements—through mediation, arbitration, or returning to court.

Our parenting plan generator prompts you to address each of these elements, ensuring nothing important is overlooked.

Important Disclaimers

Understanding This Tool's Purpose and Limitations

This is a Planning Tool, Not Legal Advice

Our parenting plan generator is designed to help you organize your ideas and create a draft document for discussion purposes. It is not:

• Legal advice or a substitute for consulting with an attorney

• A court-approved or court-ready document

• Guaranteed to meet your state's specific legal requirements

• Customized to your unique family circumstances beyond the options provided

What This Tool Provides:

✓ A comprehensive framework covering essential parenting plan elements
✓ Common scheduling options used by co-parents
✓ A starting point for discussions with your co-parent
✓ A reference document to bring to your attorney or mediator
✓ Help organizing complex custody arrangements

What You Still Need:

• Review by a qualified family law attorney in your state

• Customization for your children's specific needs and schedules

• Compliance with local court rules and filing requirements

• Legal language that will stand up in court if disputes arise

• Consideration of factors unique to your situation (special needs, domestic violence, relocation, etc.)

When to Consult an Attorney: You should work with a family law attorney if:

• You and your co-parent disagree on custody or scheduling

• There are concerns about child safety, abuse, or neglect

• One parent plans to relocate with the children

• Your situation involves complex issues like special needs, international custody, or military service

• You need your parenting plan to be legally enforceable

• Your co-parent has hired an attorney

How Divorce.com Can Help: While this free tool creates a helpful draft, Divorce.com offers professional services to finalize your parenting plan:

• Complete document preparation with court-filing assistance

• Access to mediation services to resolve disagreements

• Connection to experienced family law attorneys in your area

• Guidance through your state's specific requirements

Why Use a Parenting Plan Generator?

Benefits of Using a Parenting Plan Template

Organize Your Thoughts Before meeting with an attorney or mediator, clarify what matters most to you and identify areas of agreement with your co-parent.

Save Attorney Time and Costs Arrive at your attorney consultation with a comprehensive draft, reducing the time spent on basic information gathering.

Ensure Nothing is Overlooked Our step-by-step process covers all essential elements, from regular schedules to holiday arrangements to decision-making authority.

Facilitate Co-Parent Discussions Use your draft as a discussion guide with your co-parent to identify agreements and areas needing compromise.

Reduce Conflict and Confusion A detailed plan prevents misunderstandings about schedules, reducing conflict and stress for everyone, especially your children.

Create Consistency for Your Children Clear schedules and expectations help children adjust to two-household living with less anxiety.

Start Free, No Commitment Try our generator with no registration required. Create multiple versions until you find what works for your family.

Tips for Creating an Effective Parenting Plan

Best Practices for Your Parenting Plan

Put Children First Make decisions based on your children's developmental needs, not convenience or competition with your co-parent. Consider their school schedule, activities, friendships, and need for stability.

Be Specific and Detailed Vague language leads to disputes. Instead of "reasonable visitation," specify "every Wednesday 3-8pm and alternating weekends Friday 6pm - Sunday 6pm."

Plan for the Unexpected Include provisions for illness, emergencies, schedule changes, and how you'll handle requests to swap parenting time.

Keep Communication Child-Focused Your children shouldn't be messengers between parents. Establish direct communication methods for adults to coordinate schedules and discuss parenting matters.

Build in Flexibility Where Possible While structure is important, allow some flexibility for special occasions, family events, or changing circumstances as children grow.

Consider Your Children's Ages Infants need frequent contact with both parents. Older children can handle longer periods away and may have preferences about schedules.

Address Technology Boundaries Set guidelines about screen time, social media, phone access, and gaming that both households will follow consistently.

Review and Revise Regularly Plan to review your parenting plan annually as your children's needs change. Include a process for requesting modifications.

Document Everything Even with a great parenting plan, keep records of exchanges, communication, and any deviations from the schedule.

Focus on What You Can Control You can't control what happens at your co-parent's house. Focus on making your own parenting time positive and consistent.

State-Specific Considerations

Does My State Have Specific Parenting Plan Requirements?

Every state has different terminology and requirements for custody arrangements:

Terminology Varies:

• Some states use "parenting plan" or "parenting time"

• Others refer to "custody agreement" or "timesharing schedule"

• Legal custody vs. physical custody definitions differ by state

• Some states distinguish between "custody" and "residential responsibility"

Content Requirements Differ:

• Certain states require specific language or clauses

• Some states mandate parenting classes before plans are approved

• Forms and filing procedures vary by county and state

• States have different rules about relocation notice periods

State Laws Affect:

• Age at which children can express custody preferences

• Default custody arrangements without an agreement

• Factors judges consider when approving plans

• How child support is calculated based on parenting time

Important: While our generator covers elements common to all states, you should verify your state's specific requirements with a local attorney or your court clerk's office before filing.

Divorce.com's professional services ensure your parenting plan meets your state's exact requirements and follows all local court rules.

Next Steps After Creating Your Draft

What to Do With Your Parenting Plan Draft

1. Review and Refine Read through your draft carefully. Does it address all scenarios? Are the schedules realistic? Would you understand it if you read it a year from now?

2. Discuss with Your Co-Parent Share the draft with your co-parent. Identify areas of agreement and note items that need negotiation or compromise.

3. Consider Your Children's Input While parents make the final decisions, age-appropriate input from children can be valuable, especially for older kids and teenagers.

4. Consult with Professionals

• Attorney: Review with a family law attorney to ensure legal compliance

• Mediator: Work through disagreements in a structured, neutral setting

• Therapist: Discuss how the plan will affect your children emotionally

• Financial Advisor: Consider how the schedule impacts child support, taxes, and expenses

5. Test the Schedule If possible, try the schedule informally before finalizing it to identify practical issues.

6. Finalize the Document Work with an attorney or legal service to convert your draft into a proper legal document with all required language and formatting.

7. File with the Court Submit your parenting plan to the family court as part of your divorce or custody proceedings. Some states require both parents to sign; others need a judge's approval.

8. Keep Copies Accessible Both parents should have signed copies. Consider sharing a digital copy in a secure shared location for easy reference.

9. Communicate the Plan Once approved, explain the schedule to your children in age-appropriate terms. Consider creating a visual calendar for younger kids.

10. Follow the Plan Consistently Stick to the agreed schedule as much as possible. Document any changes or violations in case issues arise later.

Ready to Create Your Parenting Plan Draft?

Start organizing your custody arrangements with our free parenting plan generator. In less than 15 minutes, you'll have a comprehensive draft covering:

✓ Weekly custody schedules
✓ Holiday and vacation arrangements
✓ Decision-making authority
✓ Communication guidelines
✓ Transportation details
✓ Special provisions

No registration required. Start now and download your draft immediately.

Need More Than a Draft?

Divorce.com offers complete divorce and custody services including:

• Professional document preparation

• Mediation to resolve disagreements

• Court filing assistance

• Attorney consultations

• State-specific legal guidance

  
  

Frequently Asked Questions About Parenting Plans

Q: Is the parenting plan created by this tool legally binding?

A: No. Our generator creates a draft for planning purposes only. For a legally binding parenting plan, you must work with an attorney, file proper paperwork with your family court, and obtain a judge's approval. Use this draft as a starting point for legal documents, not as a final court-ready plan.

Q: Do I need a lawyer to create a parenting plan?

A: While you're not required to hire a lawyer in most states, working with a family law attorney is strongly recommended. An attorney ensures your plan complies with state laws, includes required legal language, protects your rights, and addresses issues specific to your situation. Our tool helps you organize your ideas before consulting with an attorney, which can save time and legal fees.

Q: Can I modify a parenting plan after it's approved by the court?

A: Yes. Parenting plans can be modified if circumstances change significantly, such as a parent relocating, changes in work schedules, children's needs evolving, or safety concerns. Both parents can agree to informal adjustments, but legal modifications require filing a motion with the court and demonstrating a substantial change in circumstances. Keep documentation of why changes are necessary.

Q: What happens if my co-parent doesn't follow the parenting plan?

A: If your co-parent violates a court-approved parenting plan, you have several options: 1) Try direct communication to resolve the issue, 2) Use mediation to address the problem, 3) Document violations carefully with dates and details, 4) File a motion for enforcement with the court, or 5) In serious cases, file for contempt of court. The court can enforce its orders through various remedies including makeup parenting time, fines, or modified custody.

Q: How detailed should my parenting plan be?

A: The more specific, the better. Vague terms like "reasonable visitation" lead to disputes. Include exact times, dates, locations, and procedures. Specify who picks up and drops off, where exchanges happen, what time exchanges occur, how holidays override regular schedules, and how to handle schedule changes. Detailed plans prevent misunderstandings and reduce conflict.

Q: Should our parenting plan address child support?

A: While parenting plans focus on custody and timesharing, they're often submitted alongside child support orders. Some plans reference that child support is addressed in a separate agreement. However, your parenting time schedule directly impacts child support calculations in most states—the more overnights you have, the less support you may pay. Discuss how your custody arrangement affects support with an attorney or child support calculator.

Q: What is the 2-2-3 custody schedule?

A: The 2-2-3 schedule is a 50/50 custody arrangement where children alternate between parents' homes with this pattern: Parent 1 gets Monday-Tuesday, Parent 2 gets Wednesday-Thursday, and parents alternate three-day weekends (Friday-Sunday). This schedule provides frequent contact with both parents and gives children consistent weekday routines since they know which parent has which days every week.

Q: Can grandparents or stepparents be included in a parenting plan?

A: Parenting plans are legal agreements between parents (and sometimes legal guardians). However, you can include provisions about third parties such as: no overnight visits with new romantic partners until a certain relationship duration, grandparent visitation during your parenting time, requirements or restrictions regarding stepparents' involvement, and who is approved for childcare. The plan cannot grant legal rights to non-parents, but it can set boundaries about their involvement.

Q: How do I handle holidays that fall on my co-parent's regular day?

A: Most parenting plans specify that holiday schedules take priority over regular schedules. For example, if your plan says "Parent 1 has Christmas Day in even years," then Parent 1 gets Christmas Day that year regardless of whose regular day it is. Your plan should clearly state: which holidays override the regular schedule, the start and end times for each holiday, whether holidays include overnight stays, and what happens when holidays conflict with weekends.

Q: What's the difference between legal custody and physical custody?

A: Legal custody is the right to make major decisions about your child's upbringing, including education, healthcare, religion, and extracurricular activities. Legal custody can be joint (both parents decide together) or sole (one parent has decision-making authority). Physical custody refers to where the child lives and the timesharing schedule. You can have joint legal custody but primary physical custody, meaning you both make decisions but the child lives mostly with one parent.

Q: At what age can my child decide which parent to live with?

A: There's no specific age when children unilaterally choose their living arrangements. Most states consider children's preferences starting around age 12-14, but the judge still makes the final decision based on the child's best interests. Older teenagers' preferences carry more weight. Children cannot override a court order simply because they prefer one home. Their wishes are one factor among many that judges consider, including maturity level and reasoning behind the preference.

Q: Should I include social media and technology rules in my parenting plan?

A: Yes, addressing technology helps maintain consistency between homes. Consider including: age-appropriate screen time limits, social media platform access and restrictions, phone communication rules with the other parent, privacy settings and online safety guidelines, and whether devices travel between homes. As technology constantly evolves, build in flexibility for updates and include a clause about discussing new technology issues as they arise.

Q: How do I create a parenting plan if my co-parent lives far away?

A: Long-distance parenting plans require special considerations: School year schedule often involves most or all time with the local parent, Extended periods during summer, winter, and spring breaks with the distant parent, Video calls and virtual contact during the school year, Clear procedures for travel arrangements and costs, Flexibility for unexpected visits when the distant parent is in town, and provisions for who pays travel expenses. Consider alternating travel responsibility or meeting halfway for exchanges.

Q: Can I use this parenting plan for unmarried parents?

A: Yes. Parenting plans apply to any co-parents, whether married, divorced, separated, or never married. If you were never married, you may need to establish legal paternity first (if not already established). Some states call these "custody and visitation agreements" rather than "parenting plans," but the content is the same. Work with an attorney to ensure your plan is properly filed with the family court to make it legally enforceable.

Q: What if my ex and I get along well—do we still need a formal parenting plan?

A: Yes, even friendly co-parents benefit from a written plan. Life changes—people remarry, move, change jobs, or have disagreements. A clear plan provides: Protection if your relationship becomes less amicable, Clarity for children about their schedule, Documentation for schools, doctors, and other third parties, Legal enforceability if cooperation breaks down, Guidelines for future decision-making, and a framework for resolving disagreements. You can build flexibility into a formal plan while maintaining structure and protection.