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

Related, but not identical. The custody order is the court's ruling on legal and physical custody. The parenting plan (in Maryland, built on Form CC-DR-109 or, if parents disagree, CC-DR-110) is the detailed written document covering the regular schedule, decision-making, and other day-to-day specifics. Once a judge approves it, it typically becomes part of the enforceable court order.

What form does Maryland use for a parenting plan?

Form CC-DR-109, the Maryland Parenting Plan Tool, is used when parents can work together on a full plan. If parents can't agree on everything, Form CC-DR-110, the Joint Statement of the Parties Concerning Decision-Making Authority and Parenting Plan, is used to show the court exactly which pieces are agreed and which are contested.

Do I have to file a parenting plan in every Maryland custody case?

Maryland Rule 9-204.1 requires a parenting plan in custody actions in circuit court, and parents typically receive the forms and instructions at or shortly after their first court appearance. Some jurisdictions, including Prince George's, Montgomery, and Baltimore City, administer the requirement with local variations, so check with the specific circuit court handling your case.

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

You're expected to complete what you can agree on and then use Form CC-DR-110 to flag the specific disputed issues for the court, rather than abandoning the process. Maryland Rule 9-205 also lets (and often prompts) a court to order mediation of custody or visitation disputes, which frequently narrows or resolves what's left before a judge has to decide.

When is CC-DR-110 due if we still disagree close to trial?

Where a Joint Statement is required because parents haven't reached full agreement, it generally must be filed at least 10 days before a scheduled settlement conference or at least 20 days before trial, whichever applies to the case, so check your specific scheduling order for the exact deadline.

Does a parenting plan have to cover holidays specifically?

Yes, in practice. Form CC-DR-109 has dedicated sections for holidays, school breaks, and vacation time because the regular weekly schedule doesn't automatically answer who has a given holiday. See holiday custody scheduling for how most families structure this piece.

Maryland, United States

Maryland Parenting Plans: What Parents Need to Know

What a Maryland parenting plan needs to cover, the required CC-DR-109 and CC-DR-110 court forms under Rule 9-204.1, and how it differs from the custody order itself.

Legal sources reviewed: August 11, 2026

On this page

In short: A Maryland parenting plan is the detailed written document, built on the court's Form CC-DR-109 (or Form CC-DR-110 if parents disagree on parts of it), that spells out the regular custody schedule, holidays, decision-making authority, and communication expectations for a family. Maryland Rule 9-204.1 requires a parenting plan in custody cases, and it's what turns a custody order's legal and physical custody determination into a workable day-to-day arrangement.

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 Maryland family law attorney or see the Maryland Courts parenting plans page.

What a Maryland parenting plan needs to cover

Form CC-DR-109 walks parents through the categories a complete plan generally addresses:

The regular schedule: which days and nights the child spends with each parent, the underlying question a custody schedule pattern like 2-2-3 or week on/week off answers.
Holidays and special occasions: birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and major holidays, 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.
School breaks and vacation time: summer and other extended breaks, often handled separately from the regular weekly rotation.
Transportation and exchange logistics: who transports the child, where exchanges happen, and what time.
Legal custody and decision-making: how education, health care, religious, and extracurricular decisions get made, jointly or by one parent, and the process if parents disagree.
Communication expectations: how parents coordinate about the child, separate from the schedule itself.

The official forms and filing requirement

Maryland Rule 9-204.1 requires parents in a custody action to complete a parenting plan. Parents typically receive the forms and instructions at or shortly after their first court appearance. There are two forms, depending on how much parents agree on:

Form CC-DR-109, Maryland Parenting Plan Tool: used when parents can work together (independently, with a mediator, or with attorneys) to reach a full plan covering parenting time and decision-making authority.
Form CC-DR-110, Joint Statement of the Parties Concerning Decision-Making Authority and Parenting Plan: used when parents can't agree on everything. It documents what's agreed and flags the specific contested issues for the judge to decide. Where required, it generally must be filed at least 10 days before a settlement conference or at least 20 days before trial, so confirm the exact deadline against your case's scheduling order.

The exact administration of the rule varies somewhat by county, Prince George's, Montgomery, and Baltimore City have some local variation, so check with the specific circuit court handling your case for local procedures.

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, now guided by the 16 best-interest factors under Family Law § 9-201. The parenting plan is the operational detail underneath that ruling, the actual schedule and logistics that make the order workable. Once a judge reviews and approves a parenting plan as serving the child's best interests, it's typically incorporated into the enforceable court order.

Reaching an agreed plan

If parents can agree, Form CC-DR-109 is the path, often worked out directly, through an attorney, or through mediation. Maryland Rule 9-205 allows (and in many cases prompts) a court to order mediation of a custody or visitation dispute when it's likely to be beneficial and a qualified mediator is available. Parents don't need to have completed the parenting plan form before mediation, but it helps to go in having thought through the topics. If parents can't fully agree, Form CC-DR-110 identifies what's left for the judge to decide, based on the best interest of the child.

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 transfer onto Form CC-DR-109, and a general parenting plan guide covers what goes into a strong plan regardless of jurisdiction.

Official Maryland 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.