The plan addresses legal and physical custody, a residential schedule including holidays and vacations, transportation, communication, decision-making procedures, and dispute resolution.
Many states require one in any case involving children.
Alternative Names:
Custody Plan|Parenting Agreement
Why it Matters?
Specificity prevents post-decree litigation, since a plan stating that parents will agree on holidays produces annual disputes while one assigning specific holidays in alternating years does not. Dispute resolution provisions requiring mediation before returning to court are separately valuable. Building in a modification framework for predictable transitions, including school entry and adolescence, reduces the need for formal modification proceedings.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What prevents post-decree litigation?
What framework reduces modification proceedings?
