Does Indiana use a standard parenting plan form like some other states?

Not exactly. Rather than a single case-specific parenting plan form parents fill out and file, Indiana courts apply the statewide Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines, adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court, as the default schedule and set of rules for every case. Parents and courts can still customize an individual arrangement, but it's built on top of that shared statewide baseline rather than from a blank template.

What is the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines' minimum schedule?

For a child roughly three and older, the default noncustodial-parent schedule is alternating weekends from Friday at 6:00 p.m. to Sunday at 6:00 p.m., plus one evening per week (up to four hours, generally mid-week, with the child returned by 9:00 p.m.). Extended summer parenting time and holiday provisions apply on top of that regular schedule. This is a floor, not a ceiling: parents can and often do agree to more time.

Can our family deviate from the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines?

Yes. Parents can agree to a different schedule, and a court can order one, but the Guidelines carry a presumption of applicability. If the resulting parenting time is less than the Guidelines' minimum, Indiana requires a written explanation in the court record for why that deviation is necessary or appropriate.

Do both parents have to agree on the schedule?

It isn't required, but an agreed schedule is usually faster and less adversarial than litigating one. Many Indiana counties encourage or require mediation for contested custody and parenting time disputes. If parents can't agree, the court sets the schedule itself, using the Guidelines as the default and the best-interest standard to decide any deviation.

What if my co-parent isn't following the parenting time schedule?

You can file a request to enforce or modify parenting time with the court that issued the order. Indiana Legal Help publishes self-help instructions and forms for parenting-time modification requests for parents without an attorney.

Indiana, United States

Indiana Parenting Plans: What Parents Need to Know

Q: Is a parenting plan the same thing as the custody order in Indiana?

No. The custody order, issued under Ind. Code § 31-17-2, is the court's ruling on legal custody (decision-making) and physical custody (where the child lives). The Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines, and any individualized schedule built from them, fill in the operational detail underneath that order, the regular schedule, holidays, and exchange logistics that make the ruling workable day to day.

How parenting plans work in Indiana, why the statewide Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines are the default framework, and how they interact with a case-specific custody order.

Legal sources reviewed: August 11, 2026

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In short: Indiana doesn't rely on a single case-specific parenting plan form the way some states do. Instead, the statewide Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines, adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court, set a default schedule and set of rules that apply as a presumption in every custody case. Parents and courts still build an individualized plan around a family's specifics, holidays, transportation, decision-making, but that plan sits on top of the Guidelines' baseline rather than starting from scratch.

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 Indiana family law attorney or use Indiana Legal Help.

What an Indiana parenting plan needs to cover

Whether it's the statewide default schedule alone, an agreed variation, or a court-ordered one, a workable plan generally addresses:

The regular schedule: which days, evenings, and overnights the child spends with each parent, the question a custody schedule pattern like alternating weekends, 2-2-3, or week on/week off answers.
Holidays and school breaks: the Guidelines include their own holiday and summer-vacation provisions, but many families adjust these to fit their own traditions and school calendar. 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, details the Guidelines address only in general terms.
Legal custody and decision-making: how education, health care, and religious decisions get made, jointly or by one parent, and what happens if parents disagree.
Communication expectations: how parents coordinate about the child day to day, separate from the schedule itself.

The Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines

Indiana's approach is distinctive. Rather than each family filling out an individualized parenting plan form as the primary vehicle for a schedule, the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines are a single statewide framework, appended to the Indiana Rules of Court, that applies as a presumption in every case unless the parents or the court establish something different. The Guidelines are built on the premise that it's usually in a child's best interest to have frequent, meaningful, and continuing contact with each parent, and they're meant to be a model that's adjusted to a family's actual circumstances rather than followed rigidly.

For a child around three and older, the default minimum includes alternating weekends (Friday 6:00 p.m. to Sunday 6:00 p.m.) and one weekly evening visit, plus separate provisions for extended summer parenting time, holidays, and situations where the parents live far apart. Because the Guidelines set a minimum, not a ceiling, many agreed plans provide more parenting time than the default. If a plan or order provides less than the Guidelines' minimum, Indiana requires a written explanation in the record for why that deviation is necessary or appropriate for the child.

How a parenting plan relates to the custody order

The custody order, issued under Ind. Code § 31-17-2, is the court's ruling on legal custody (who makes major decisions) and physical custody (where the child primarily lives). The Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines, and any individualized schedule layered on top of them, are the operational detail underneath that ruling, the actual calendar and logistics that make the order workable day to day. A custody order can reference the Guidelines by default without spelling out every detail itself, or it can incorporate a fully customized schedule that the parents agreed to or the court ordered after considering the child's best interests.

Reaching an agreed plan

Many Indiana courts encourage or require mediation for contested custody and parenting time matters before a hearing. If parents reach an agreement, it's typically submitted to the court as a proposed order. If they can't agree, the court applies the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines as the default and decides any requested deviation based on the child's best interests.

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 discuss with an attorney, and a general parenting plan guide covers what goes into a strong plan regardless of jurisdiction.

Official Indiana 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.