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

Related, but not identical. The custody order decides legal custody (decision-making) and physical custody (where the child lives). The parenting time plan is the detailed schedule underneath it, usually written into the Order Regarding Custody and Parenting Time (FOC 89), covering the regular schedule, holidays, transportation, and exchange logistics that make the order workable day to day.

What does the Friend of the Court actually do?

Michigan's Friend of the Court (FOC), a division of each county's circuit court, investigates and makes recommendations on custody and parenting time disputes, helps parents reach agreements, calculates child support, and enforces existing parenting time orders, including addressing missed or denied parenting time. It doesn't decide cases itself; a judge signs the final order, but the FOC's recommendation carries significant weight in most counties.

Is there one statewide Michigan parenting time schedule form, like California's FL-311?

Not exactly. Michigan doesn't have a single fill-in-the-blank statewide schedule attachment. Instead, the State Court Administrative Office publishes a Parenting Time Guideline that many local Friend of the Court offices adapt into their own county-specific guideline, and the actual agreed or ordered schedule gets written into the Order Regarding Custody and Parenting Time (FOC 89). Check your county's Friend of the Court office for its local guideline.

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

You can file a motion with the court, often starting with your local Friend of the Court office, which handles enforcement of parenting time orders in Michigan. Consistent, documented denials or missed exchanges can lead to makeup parenting time or, in serious cases, contempt proceedings.

Does a parenting time plan need to cover holidays separately from the regular schedule?

It's strongly recommended, and most county Friend of the Court guidelines expect it. A plan that only sets the regular weekly rotation leaves holidays, school breaks, and special occasions unaddressed, which is a common source of later disputes. See how to build a holiday custody schedule for how most families structure this piece.

Michigan, United States

Michigan Parenting Time Plans: What Parents Need to Know

Q: Do both parents have to agree on the parenting time plan?

Ideally, yes. If parents agree on parenting time terms, MCL 722.27a requires the court to order those terms unless it finds, by clear and convincing evidence on the record, that the agreement isn't in the child's best interest. If parents can't agree, the Friend of the Court typically investigates and recommends a schedule, and a judge decides after a hearing if the dispute continues.

What a Michigan parenting time plan needs to cover, how the Friend of the Court fits in, the Order Regarding Custody and Parenting Time (FOC 89), and how a plan differs from the custody order itself.

Legal sources reviewed: August 11, 2026

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In short: A Michigan parenting time plan is the detailed, written schedule, typically incorporated into the Order Regarding Custody and Parenting Time (FOC 89), that spells out the regular schedule, holidays, transportation, and exchange logistics for a family. Michigan doesn't use one single statewide fill-in-the-blank schedule form the way some states do; instead, the State Court Administrative Office's Parenting Time Guideline and each county's Friend of the Court office shape how a specific schedule gets built and written into the order, whether parents agree or a judge decides.

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 Michigan family law attorney or contact your local Friend of the Court office.

What a Michigan parenting time plan needs to cover

A complete plan generally addresses:

The regular schedule: which days and overnights 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, and religious 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.

MCL 722.27a directs that parenting time be granted in a frequency, duration, and type reasonably calculated to promote a strong parent-child relationship, and states it's presumed to be in a child's best interest to have a strong relationship with both parents. That standard shapes how much detail a plan is expected to include.

The official process and forms

Michigan's approach is more decentralized than some states'. Rather than one statewide schedule attachment, three pieces typically come together:

The State Court Administrative Office's Parenting Time Guideline, a statewide reference document on building age-appropriate, workable schedules, which many county Friend of the Court offices adapt into their own local guideline.
Your county's Friend of the Court parenting time guideline, since specifics (like a standard alternating-weekend schedule or a suggested holiday rotation) can vary by county. Your local FOC office can provide its current version.
FOC 89, Order Regarding Custody and Parenting Time, the SCAO-approved form used to write the actual custody and parenting time terms, whether stipulated by agreement or ordered after a hearing, into an enforceable court order.

Whether you and your co-parent agree on the plan or are asking a judge to decide, the specifics ultimately get written into this order.

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. The parenting time plan is the operational detail underneath that ruling, the actual schedule and logistics that make the order workable. In Michigan, both often live in the same document (FOC 89), but the custody determination and the parenting time schedule are still conceptually separate questions, and a plan can be modified without necessarily reopening the underlying custody determination.

Reaching an agreed plan

If parents can agree, MCL 722.27a requires the court to order those parenting time terms unless it finds, by clear and convincing evidence on the record, that the agreement isn't in the child's best interest. Getting there often involves the Friend of the Court, which can facilitate agreements, and in many counties offers or requires mediation for contested custody and parenting time matters. If parents can't agree, the Friend of the Court typically investigates the circumstances and makes a recommendation to the court, and a judge decides after a hearing if the dispute isn't resolved. The FOC also plays an ongoing role after the order is entered: it's generally the first stop for enforcing parenting time, addressing missed exchanges, or requesting makeup time.

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 a Friend of the Court meeting, mediation, or attach to FOC 89, and a general parenting plan guide covers what goes into a strong plan regardless of jurisdiction.

Official Michigan 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.