Child Custody Parenting Plan Checklist

Many states require a written parenting plan in custody cases. Use this checklist to make sure your plan covers the issues that most often cause conflict later.

Download the printable checklist (PDF): free, one or two pages, made to print and fill in by hand.

Schedule

• ☐ Regular weekly and weekend schedule
• ☐ Holidays, birthdays and special days
• ☐ Summer and school breaks
• ☐ Make-up time if a visit is missed
• ☐ Right of first refusal for childcare

Decision-making

• ☐ Education and school choice
• ☐ Non-emergency health care
• ☐ Religious upbringing
• ☐ Extracurricular activities
• ☐ How emergencies are handled

Logistics

• ☐ Exchange times and locations
• ☐ Who handles transportation and costs
• ☐ Out-of-state and international travel notice
• ☐ Passports and travel documents
• ☐ Rules for relocation and how much notice is required

Communication

• ☐ How parents communicate (app, email, text)
• ☐ Child's contact with the other parent by phone or video
• ☐ Sharing school and medical information
• ☐ Introducing new partners

Resolving disputes

• ☐ Mediation before going back to court
• ☐ How and when the plan will be reviewed
• ☐ Adjustments as the child grows

Tips

• Keep a calendar of actual parenting time and any missed exchanges.
• Communicate in writing and stay child-focused; courts read those messages.

This checklist is general information, not legal advice, and it is not a legal form. Rules and deadlines vary by state; a licensed attorney can tell you what applies to your situation. Find a lawyer near you.

Sources

1. Cornell Law School LII: Child custody
2. Cornell Law School LII: Best interests of the child
3. Cornell Law School LII: Visitation
4. Cornell Law School LII: Mediation
5. Cornell Law School LII: 28 U.S.C. 1738A, Full faith and credit given to child custody determinations