Is a parenting plan required in Arizona, or just recommended?

Required. Unlike many states where a written plan is best practice, Arizona law (A.R.S. § 25-403.02) requires a parenting plan in every case involving legal decision-making or parenting time, including divorce, legal separation, and paternity cases. If parents can't agree on every element, the court fills in whatever's missing.

What has to be in an Arizona parenting plan?

By statute, at least eight things: a joint-or-sole legal decision-making designation, each parent's rights and responsibilities for decisions like education, health care, and religious training, a practical parenting time schedule covering holidays and school vacations, an exchange procedure including transportation and location, a process for mediating changes and disputes, a periodic review procedure, a communication procedure, and a statement that both parents understand the child-safety notification requirements under A.R.S. § 25-403.05(B).

What is the Arizona Model Parenting Time Plan?

It's a set of age-based suggested schedules published by the Arizona courts, covering situations from infants to teenagers, meant to give parents (and judges) a starting point rather than a mandatory template. Parents can adopt one as written, adapt it, or propose something entirely different, the schedule itself is only one of the eight required elements of a full plan.

Is a parenting plan the same thing as the legal decision-making and parenting time order?

Related but distinct. The order is the court's ruling on legal decision-making authority and the parenting time framework. The parenting plan is the detailed document, often attached to or incorporated into that order, that spells out the actual schedule, exchanges, communication, and review process required by A.R.S. § 25-403.02.

What if my co-parent and I can't agree on the parenting plan?

The court decides whatever elements you can't agree on, based on the child's best interest, the same standard used for legal decision-making and parenting time generally. Arizona courts typically expect parents to attempt mediation or conciliation services first before a judge resolves contested terms.

Can an Arizona parenting plan be changed later?

Yes. The plan itself is required to include a procedure for periodic review by the parents, and either parent can also petition the court for a modification on a showing of changed circumstances affecting the child's welfare.

Arizona, United States

Arizona Parenting Plans: What Parents Need to Know

Arizona is one of the few states that legally requires a written parenting plan in every legal decision-making and parenting time case. What A.R.S. § 25-403.02 requires it to cover, and how it relates to the court's order.

Legal sources reviewed: August 11, 2026

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In short: Arizona is one of the states where a written parenting plan isn't optional, A.R.S. § 25-403.02 requires one in every legal decision-making and parenting time case, and spells out eight specific things it has to cover: legal decision-making designation, each parent's decision-making responsibilities, a practical parenting time schedule with holidays, an exchange procedure, a dispute-resolution process, a periodic review process, a communication procedure, and an acknowledgment of Arizona's child-safety notification requirements. Arizona courts also publish a Model Parenting Time Plan with age-based suggested schedules parents can use as a starting point.

This is an educational overview written for parents, not lawyers. It isn't legal advice. For anything specific to your case, talk to a licensed Arizona family law attorney or use Arizona Court Help's parenting plan resources.

What an Arizona parenting plan needs to cover

A.R.S. § 25-403.02(C) requires every parenting plan to include at least:

A legal decision-making designation: whether it's joint or sole.
Each parent's rights and responsibilities: for the child's personal care and for decisions in areas like education, health care, and religious training.
A practical parenting time schedule: covering holidays and school vacations, not just the regular week, the underlying question a custody schedule pattern like 2-2-3 or week on/week off answers.
An exchange procedure: including the location, who's responsible for transportation, and provisions for a safe exchange location when required.
A dispute-resolution procedure: for proposed changes, relocation, and alleged breaches of the plan, which may involve conciliation services or private mediation.
A periodic review procedure: so the plan gets revisited rather than left static as the child grows.
A communication procedure: how parents will communicate with each other about the child, including methods and frequency.
A notification acknowledgment: a statement that both parents have read, understand, and will abide by the child-safety notification requirements of A.R.S. § 25-403.05(B), which requires immediately alerting the other parent if a registered sex offender or someone convicted of a dangerous crime against children may have access to the child.

If parents can't agree on one or more of these elements, the court decides that element for them, and can add other terms necessary to protect the child's emotional and physical health.

The legal requirement and Model Parenting Time Plan

Arizona requires a parenting plan in essentially every case that touches legal decision-making or parenting time, divorce, legal separation, and paternity cases among them, which puts it in the same category as states like Florida, Georgia, and Washington rather than states that merely recommend one. To make that requirement workable for parents without an attorney, the Arizona courts publish a Model Parenting Time Plan, a set of age-based suggested schedules (from infants through teenagers) with sample language for the regular schedule, holidays, and exchanges. Parents can adopt a model plan as written, modify it, or draft their own arrangement entirely, the model is a starting point, not a mandatory template, and it only addresses the scheduling element, not all eight required components of a full plan.

How a parenting plan relates to the legal decision-making order

The legal decision-making and parenting time order is the court's ruling on who has decision-making authority and the parenting time framework. The parenting plan is the operational document underneath it, often attached to or incorporated into the order, that turns that ruling into the day-to-day specifics: the actual schedule, how exchanges happen, how disputes get resolved, and how the plan gets reviewed over time. Because Arizona requires both, a case isn't really finished until the plan's eight required elements are addressed, not just the underlying legal decision-making and parenting time designations.

Reaching an agreed plan

Arizona courts generally expect parents to try to work out a parenting plan themselves, often through mediation or conciliation services, before a judge resolves contested terms. An agreed plan gets submitted to the court and, once approved, becomes part of the enforceable order. Where parents can't agree on specific elements, either can ask the court to decide those elements based on the child's best interest, the same standard that governs legal decision-making and parenting time generally.

Building the actual schedule

Once the required elements are settled, an OnePage parenting plan generator or custody schedule generator can help draft the specific written schedule to bring into mediation or attach to a proposed plan, and a general parenting plan guide covers what goes into a strong plan regardless of jurisdiction.

Official Arizona resources

FAQ

Questions, answered

This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Family law varies by individual circumstances and may change over time. Consult a qualified attorney or appropriate official resource for advice about your situation.