The Parenting Plan Worksheet
The Parenting Plan is a document that helps divorcing parents to make decisions about their children’s future. The worksheet lists major issues and helps parents to negotiate and resolve numerous issues about the care of their children after the marriage ends. By completing the worksheet, the divorcing couple creates their unique parenting plan.
Important Questions that Need Answers
One of the most important questions a couple will have is who will have primary custody of the children. Other important issues deal with child support, visitation rights, and holidays. The daily schedule of each child, after-school activities, and school trips must also be decided. The worksheet also helps parents to decide how they will communicate in the future and what responsibilities each of them will have.
Consider including the follwoing in your parenting plan
- Access schedule: outline the physical custody schedule, including regular weekdays, weekends, holidays, and vacations. Specify the pickup and drop-off locations and procedures.
- Decision-making authority: how major decisions regarding the child’s education, health, religion, and extracurricular activities will be made. Define whether decisions will be made jointly or if one parent has decision-making authority in specific areas.
- Establish guidelines for communication between parents about the child’s well-being.
- Include a process for resolving conflicts, such as mediation or involving a parenting coordinator.
- Outline the steps to take if disagreements arise and specify when court intervention may be necessary.
- Address how a parent’s potential relocation will be handled, including notice requirements and modifications to the parenting plan.
- Outline the financial obligations of each parent, including child support and any other financial contributions.
- Specify how expenses such as medical costs, education, and extracurricular activities will be shared.
- Detail how healthcare decisions will be made and how medical expenses will be handled. Include information on health insurance coverage for the child.
- Address issues related to the child’s education, such as school choice, participation in parent-teacher conferences, and communication with teachers.
- Clearly define how holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions will be shared. Rotate or alternate special occasions to ensure each parent has opportunities to spend time with the child.
- Specify the rules for domestic and international travel with the child. Address passport and travel authorization requirements.
- If applicable, address religious or cultural practices and how they will be incorporated into the child’s upbringing.
- Parental conduct: include provisions about respectful and appropriate behavior between parents, especially in front of the child.
- Address communication protocols and avoid negative language.
- Include a mechanism for reviewing and, if necessary, modifying the parenting plan. Clearly state the conditions under which modifications can be considered.
Completing the Parenting Plan
A parenting worksheet can be used by the parents alone or together, or with the help of their lawyers, a mediator or a family counselor. After the parents fill out the blank sections of the worksheet, they then compare their answers to try to reach common ground. The worksheet is not exhaustive, but it is a good starting point for discussions about important matters regarding their children. The worksheet is simply a tool for reaching an agreement and settlement.
The Parenting Plan Worksheet
The plan starts with each parent’s name, address, phone number and other contact information. The names and ages of the children affected by this plan are then listed. (As the children get older, it is important to revisit this worksheet and make changes as necessary.)
The next section determines how much time each parent spends with the children. Each child’s daily schedule is written down and the parents decide such things as pick-up and drop-off locations, and transportation arrangements. There is also a section regarding winter, spring, and summer vacations for each child.
Other sections of the worksheet discuss religious upbringing, behavior management each child, and how the parents will conduct themselves in front of the children and with each other. If a parent has a problem with drugs, alcohol, gambling or other issues, a treatment plan must be added to the worksheet. At the end of the worksheet, both parents sign and date the document.
Related: How a Parenting Coordinator Van Help You
Get Legal Counsel
When parents’ divorce, it is important for them to hire specialized divorce lawyers. It is also important for them work together for the benefit of their children. The Parenting Plan is a worksheet designed to address the various issues regarding the custody and care of the couple’s children.
Divorce can be a long and complicated matter. Choose a divorce lawyer to help you through this difficult process. The family lawyers at Fine & Associates are ready to assist you in any way. Contact us today.
If you need help in you parenting, custody and divorce, schedule a free phone consultation with our family lawyers in Toronto.