A Consilia Legal, we can prepare a Parenting Plan which is a written agreement between parents setting out how each parent will facilitate child care arrangements and how they will exercise parental responsibility following the breakdown of their relationship.
A Parenting Plan is a voluntary agreement that is put into place to set out how parents will co-parent following separation. The provisions included in a Parenting Plan vary depending on the circumstances of each family.
The following are some of the provisions that can be included within a Parenting Plan:
- When each parent will have contact with the children and when handovers will take place;
- Where handovers of the children will take place i.e. the parties’ homes or public places;
- Arrangements for term-time and school holidays;
- How parents shall communicate with each other;
- Details regarding the children’s healthcare, daily routine, and extra-curricular activities;
- How expenses concerning the children, such as school uniforms, trips etc, will be shared between the parents.
As experienced solicitors and mediators, we see the benefits of having a clear Parenting Plan in place and how parents and ultimately the child or children benefit from this.
From our experience some of the benefits of a Parenting Plan to parents are that:
- It will help everyone involved know what is expected of them;
- It acts as a valuable reference to go back to;
- It provides stability and certainty for the parents and children;
- It sets out practical decisions about the children, such as living arrangements, education and health care; and
- It promotes an amicable relationship between parents as they are able to agree on agreements for the children.
A Parenting Plan ensures that the child’s best interests are put first and ensures a shared commitment between the parents toward their children.
Cafcass who are a support service in family court cases have devised a useful page containing information about Parenting Plans.
