Preparing a Parenting Plan for Court

A parenting plan is seen as a legal document describing the terms of your child custody agreement. A parenting plan is also seen as a necessary tool for co-parents in order to successfully parent their child in all situations. It is a valuable reference tool for co-parents to use as they encounter parenting challenges. Before a parenting plan can be implemented it must be reviewed and approved by a family court. Preparing a parenting plan for court can be a very challenging and stressful task for any co-parent.

Before preparing a parenting plan for court

There are many topics that must be thoroughly covered and defined within a proper parenting plan. In order to create an effective parenting plan that is court-ready you and your co-parent must be willing to do all of the necessary prep work. It is essential for co-parents to discuss all of the issues that will go into the parenting plan before even beginning to write everything down on paper. It is most beneficial when co-parents are able to cooperate with one another and negotiate in order to come up with acceptable solutions to the issues. This way both parties can be happy with the parenting plan. In some cases, conflict may be too great between co-parents making this type of cooperation impossible. If this is the case, both co-parents are allowed to create separate parenting plans and submit them to the court for approval. Its up to the judge to determine which best meets the needs of the child or if neither are sufficient.

Which topics to cover in the parenting plan

There are many important topics that must be thoroughly defined in the parenting plan. These topics are mainly regarding the custody and visitation schedule, information about legal custody, provisions required by the state, and also any personal provisions that co-parents may wish to add. It is always beneficial for co-parents to request a family law professional to help them with creating their parenting plan. They will be able to aide co-parents in making sure that every detail that needs to be covered will be. Since the parenting plan is considered to be an official legal document it must be presented to a judge in order to be approved. A family law professional or attorney will also be able to help in the process of getting it approved.

Preparing for presenting your parenting plan in court

Court can be a very scary and intimidating part of the child custody process. Co-parent can help to alleviate this fear by properly preparing for what is to be expected in a custody hearing. One of the most important ways to prepare for this event is to familiarize yourself with the laws surrounding child custody that are enforced in your particular state. Another important opportunity for preparation is to make sure that you gather all of the necessary paperwork that is to be presented along with your written parenting plan. Another necessary preparation is to make sure that your appearance and etiquette are proper for a courtroom setting. A family law professional will be able to assist you in all of these areas to make sure that you are sufficiently prepared for your case. For a list of trusted family law professionals in your state please refer to our Divorce, What You Can Expect by State resources guide.