What Goes into a Parenting Plan?

If your divorce involves time-sharing of minor children, a parenting plan will be part of your final agreement. Judges in the state of Florida prefer the parents develop and agree on the plan together. However, if they cannot do that, the judge’s primary concern, in every instance, is to serve the best interests of the child.

The parenting plan is a court-approvedor court-established) document. It dictates the interactions between the parents regarding the child. A plan in the state of Florida will contain detailed information regarding the child’s health care, education, the time-sharing schedule and the child’s overall well-being. So the history of the household, including events such as domestic violence, child abuse or drug use, is considered. Florida courts provide a parenting plan form to help with the process.

Details In A Parenting Plan

The state’s form does not pretend to cover every possible issue that may present itself. Generally, the parent who has custody of the child at a particular time makes the day-to-day decisions within the framework of the agreement. The age and needs of each child should be addressed in as much detail as possible in the plan.

Key issues to be included are:

• Health care. Who is responsible for providing the insurance? What percentage will each pay? Who makes the decisions?
• Schooling/education. Who is responsible for school-related issues?
• Extracurricular activities. Both parents need to agree to allow participation. Who pays what percentage of the costs?
• Time-sharing. The parenting plan form provides a breakdown, including how many nights a year each parent has a child. Which holidays/ school breaks will be spent with which parent?
• Communication. How will the parents communicate with the child and each other? Which technologies will be used (cellphones, video, other)?
• Transportation and exchanges. Who bears what cost? How, when and where will exchanges take place?Child care. Generally, each parent decides how this is handled while the child is his or her care.
• Relocation, disputes and plan modifications. Courts recognize that from time to time issues arise and changes may be necessary for a variety of reasons. The parenting plan can be revisited.

If you have questions about parenting plans, contact a reputable family law attorney. Call Carl T. Boake today.