Is a parenting plan actually required in Georgia, or just recommended?

Required. Since a 2008 change to Georgia law, O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 requires a parenting plan in essentially every case where child custody is at issue between parents, whether it's a divorce, a legitimation action, or a modification, with a narrow exception for emergency family violence relief. Parents submit either a joint plan or, if they disagree, separate proposed plans for the judge to choose between.

Is a parenting plan the same thing as the custody order?

Related, but not identical. The custody order is the court's ruling on legal and physical custody, who has decision-making authority and where the child lives. The parenting plan is the detailed written document, often incorporated into or attached to that order, that spells out the day-to-day schedule, holidays, transportation, and decision-making specifics required by O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1.

What form do Georgia courts use for a parenting plan?

Unlike some states, Georgia doesn't have a single statewide numbered form. Individual judicial circuits and counties publish their own parenting plan forms built around the requirements in O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 and Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.10, so check with your county's superior court clerk or self-help center for the exact form your circuit uses.

What happens if parents can't agree on a parenting plan?

Each parent files a separate proposed parenting plan with the court. The judge can adopt one parent's proposed plan, blend elements of both, or craft its own, based on the best interest of the child under O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3, after any required mediation and, if necessary, a hearing.

Does a parenting plan have to cover holidays specifically?

Yes. O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 expects a plan to address holiday, birthday, and vacation time with specific dates and times, not just the regular weekly schedule, since holidays are a common source of later disputes if left unaddressed. See holiday custody scheduling for how most families structure this piece.

Can a parenting plan be changed later?

Yes, generally through a modification action showing a material change in circumstances since the plan was entered, decided under the same best-interest standard as the original custody case. The plan itself should already anticipate that the child's needs will change and grow, since that's one of the recognitions O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 requires it to include.

Georgia, United States

Georgia Parenting Plans: What Parents Need to Know

Why Georgia requires a written parenting plan in every custody case, what O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 says it must cover, and how it differs from the custody order itself.

Legal sources reviewed: August 11, 2026

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In short: Georgia is one of the states where a written parenting plan isn't optional. Since 2008, O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 has required a parenting plan in essentially every custody case between parents, spelling out the daily schedule, holidays, transportation, and decision-making authority that make a custody order workable day to day. Parents can submit one agreed plan or, if they disagree, separate proposed plans for a judge to decide between.

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 Georgia family law attorney or use the Georgia Courts self-help resources.

What a Georgia parenting plan needs to cover

O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 requires every plan to include several baseline recognitions, unless the court orders otherwise: that a close, continuing parent-child relationship and continuity in the child's life serve the child's best interest; that the child's needs will change as they grow, and the parents will adjust rather than relitigate every shift; that the parent with physical custody at a given time makes the day-to-day and emergency decisions while the child is in their care; and that both parents get access to the child's education, health, health insurance, extracurricular, and religious records regardless of custody arrangement.

On top of those baseline recognitions, a complete plan generally spells out:

The daily schedule: where the child spends each day and night, the underlying question a custody schedule pattern like 2-2-3 or week on/week off answers.
Holidays, birthdays, and vacation time: with specific dates and times, since the regular schedule doesn't automatically say who has a given holiday. See how to build a holiday custody schedule for how this is typically structured.
Transportation and exchange logistics: who transports the child, where exchanges happen, and at what time.
Decision-making authority: how education, non-emergency medical care, extracurricular activities, and religious upbringing get decided, jointly or by one parent as the tie-breaker.
Any supervision requirements or parenting-time limitations, if applicable to the family's circumstances.
Military deployment provisions, when relevant.

The legal requirement

Georgia's parenting plan mandate is broader than a court form, it's a statutory requirement. O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1 applies in "all cases in which the custody of any child is at issue between the parents," covering divorce, legitimation, and modification actions alike, with the main exception being a parent seeking emergency relief in a family violence situation. If both parents agree, they can jointly submit one plan; if they don't, each parent must prepare and file a separate proposed plan, and the court decides between them (or crafts its own) based on the child's best interest.

Unlike states that use a single statewide numbered form, Georgia's parenting plan process is governed procedurally by Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.10, and the actual paperwork is published at the judicial circuit or county level, built around the § 19-9-1 requirements. Check with your county's superior court clerk or self-help center for the specific form your circuit expects.

How a parenting plan relates to the custody order

The custody order is the court's ruling on legal and physical custody, who has decision-making authority and where the child lives, decided under Georgia's roughly 22-factor best-interest test in O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3. The parenting plan is the operational layer underneath that ruling, the actual day-to-day schedule and logistics required by § 19-9-1 that make the order workable in practice, and it's typically incorporated into the final custody order itself rather than existing as a separate, optional document.

Reaching an agreed plan

If parents can agree, the plan is often worked out through mediation and then submitted jointly for the judge to approve as part of the final order. Courts are generally reluctant to second-guess a plan both parents agree to when it reflects the child's interests. If parents can't agree, each files a separate proposed plan, and the court decides the specifics itself, applying the best-interest standard after any required mediation and, if necessary, a contested hearing.

Building the actual schedule

Once the categories above 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 your circuit's parenting plan form, and a general parenting plan guide covers what goes into a strong plan regardless of jurisdiction.

Official Georgia 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.