Things to Think About When Preparing a Parenting Plan
Focus on Kids: Parenting
Plans
Remember these things when you and your child's other parent create a parenting plan:
- All decisions that affect parenting need to be addressed.
- Ideas from both parents should be considered; when both
parents feel that they are actively involved in the process, they are more likely to respect and follow the plan.
- Both parents need to define their role in the children’s lives after the divorce. The parenting plan
should reflect these new roles and responsibilities.
- Parenting plans should be structured enough to be understandable and flexible enough to be realistic.
- A distinction between the spousal and the parenting role
should be made when creating the parenting plan.
- Anything left undecided by parents will be decided by a judge.
Some issues to be considered when developing your Parenting
Plan:
The Children’s Schedule
1. Where will they stay on weekdays?
2. Where will they stay on weekends?
3. How will holidays be divided?
4. How will vacations be
handled?
5. What will be done when a conflict arises in this schedule?
Child Support
1. How much child support is needed?
2. For how long will child
support continue?
3. What will child support be used for?
4. How will it be paid?
5. How often will it be paid?
6. How will support be adjusted to the cost of living; will it increase with
inflation?
7. Will support be adjusted to children’s development needs?
8. What will be the method of payment?
9. If needed, how will renegotiations take place?
Child Care
1. Who will care for the children when parents are working?
2. Should the other parent be called for childcare before calling a baby-sitter?
3. How will childcare or baby-sitters be selected?
Sick Children
1. Will parents be informed of illnesses or injuries that occurred during the other parent’s time?
2. How will the children’s schedule be handled when
they are ill?
Extended Family
1. What will the grandparents’ role be in the children’s lives after the divorce? (In Missouri, grandparents do have a right
to see grandchildren. Each parent should incorporate his or her own family of origin.)
Religion
1. If parents are of different religions, which religion will the
children experience?
2. Which church will the children attend?
3. Who pays for religious education or special events (confirmations or Bah Mitzvahs, for example)?
Extracurricular Activities
1. which camps, lessons, clubs, or sports the children participate in?
2. How will these costs be covered?
Education after High School
1. How
will these costs be divided?
2. How will the decision of which school the children will attend be made?
3. Will child support continue during college?
Travel
1. Make sure that you have it clearly stated what the requirements are for overnight travel. Contact numbers, schedule, locations, and when this information must be delivered in advance and by what method.
2. If
traveling outside the immediate area, will the parent traveling with the children notify the other parent?
Moving
1. How will moving affect custody arrangement?
2. What school will the children attend?
3. How will travel cost be covered?
4. What notification must be provided and how far in advance of the move. Always check you local rules and state law as there may be rules or law
that cover this area.
Remarriage
1. How will remarriage by either parent affect child support?
2. How will remarriage by either parent affect the
children’s schedule?
3. What role will the new stepparent play in the children’s lives?
Death
1. How will contact with the deceased parent’s
family or origin remain in the children’s lives?
2. Who receives custody if the custodial parent dies?
Access to Records (Legal Custody)
1. Regardless of
custody, both parents retain access to all the children’s records.
Health Insurance
1. Parents must include health insurance as part of child support when
private health insurance is available to the supporting parent at a "reasonable cost". Thus, a family plan should be maintained.
2. How will any uncovered expenses be paid?
Tax Consequences
1. Who will claim the children as deductions for income tax?
2. Who will claim the "head of household status"?
IRS rules have changed in this area and there are releases that must be signed so the non-custodial parent can claim the child if you agree to
alternate years on the tax deductions.
Life Insurance Policies on Parents
1. Who will be named as beneficiaries?
Revisions of the Parenting Plan
1. How will revising the parenting plan be accomplished?
2. Do the children have a voice in determining if the parenting plan needs to be changed or updated?
3. It is recommended that an annual meeting is set
to discuss possible revisions to the parenting plan.
Ohio Family Rights is a national free association of like minded people that work to comprehensively change the way that states and the courts view custody between divorced and never married people. We have dedicated ourselves to correcting what has long been a major problem of socially engineering fit parents from the lives of their child every day. This goal can only be accomplished by comprehensively correcting the flaws within the “Shared Parenting laws” that are currently in place so that all fit parents and their children can benefit from equal custody. Please join us in our efforts to protect the families of this nation and the future of our children.
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