Is a Permanent Parenting Plan actually required in Tennessee, or is it optional?

It's required, not optional. Under Tenn. Code § 36-6-404, a Tennessee court cannot finalize a divorce, legal separation, or separate maintenance action involving minor children without entering a Permanent Parenting Plan Order. There's no equivalent of a bare custody ruling without one.

What form do Tennessee courts use for this?

The Administrative Office of the Courts has developed a standardized statewide Permanent Parenting Plan form, required to be used consistently by every court in the state under Tenn. Code § 36-6-404(g). It's available as a fillable PDF and Word document, in English and several other languages, through the Tennessee AOC's parenting plan forms page.

Do both parents have to agree on the plan, or can the court impose one?

Agreement is preferred but not required. If parents haven't reached agreement by 45 days before trial, each parent must file and serve their own proposed plan on the standardized form. If they still can't agree, the judge decides the residential schedule and decision-making allocation based on the best-interest factors in Tenn. Code § 36-6-106, drawing on both proposed plans.

What does the plan have to cover?

At minimum: a residential schedule spelling out where the child is on every day of the year, including school breaks and a holiday rotation; how major decisions on education, health care, and religious upbringing are allocated between parents; day-to-day decision-making authority; a dispute-resolution process to try before returning to court; and each parent's income and health insurance information tied to the child support calculation.

Tennessee, United States

Tennessee Permanent Parenting Plans: What Parents Need to Know

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

Functionally, yes. Tennessee doesn't issue a separate custody order alongside the parenting plan; the Permanent Parenting Plan Order is the custody order. It designates the Primary Residential Parent, sets the residential schedule, and allocates decision-making authority all in one document. See Tennessee child custody for how the two fit together.

Q: Do we have to take a class before the plan gets approved?

Generally, yes. Tennessee requires parents in an action where a permanent parenting plan will be entered to attend a four-hour Parent Education Seminar, covering the legal process and how to reduce the child's exposure to conflict. Courts typically won't approve a final plan until this requirement is met, though it can be waived by the court for good cause.

Why every Tennessee divorce involving minor children requires a Permanent Parenting Plan Order, what Tenn. Code § 36-6-404 requires it to cover, and the official statewide form.

Legal sources reviewed: August 11, 2026

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In short: Tennessee doesn't issue a standalone custody order. Under Tenn. Code § 36-6-404, every divorce, legal separation, or paternity action involving minor children must end with a court-approved Permanent Parenting Plan Order, filed on a standardized statewide form, that sets the residential schedule, allocates decision-making authority, and lays out a dispute-resolution process before either parent can go back to court. It's mandatory, not a document parents can choose to skip in favor of an informal 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 Tennessee family law attorney or consult the Tennessee AOC's Parenting Plan program.

What a Tennessee Permanent Parenting Plan needs to cover

Tenn. Code § 36-6-404 requires every plan to:

Provide a residential schedule: which parent the child is with on every day of the year, including the regular school-week rotation, weekends, and a holiday and school-break schedule specifying which parent has each occasion in odd versus even years.
Establish decision-making authority: how day-to-day decisions (meals, homework, bedtime) and major decisions (education, non-emergency health care, religious upbringing) are allocated, jointly or to one parent, consistent with the best-interest factors in Tenn. Code § 36-6-106.
Provide for the child's changing needs: a plan built to minimize the need for later modification as the child grows.
Minimize the child's exposure to harmful parental conflict.
Set out a dispute-resolution process: mediation or another good-faith method to try before either parent files a court action, unless domestic violence or another statutory exception applies.
Include financial documentation: each parent's verified statement of income under the child support guidelines, plus health, dental, and life insurance information, tied to the required Child Support Worksheet.

The legal requirement and official form

Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts has developed a standardized statewide Permanent Parenting Plan form, required under Tenn. Code § 36-6-404(g) to be used consistently by every court in the state. It's available as a fillable PDF and Word document through the Tennessee AOC's Parenting Plan Forms page, along with translated versions.

If parents haven't reached an agreement by 45 days before trial, each must independently file and serve a proposed plan on this form, even if mediation or negotiation is still ongoing. Tennessee also generally requires parents in a case where a permanent parenting plan will be entered to complete a four-hour Parent Education Seminar before the judge will approve the final plan, covering the legal process and how to reduce the child's exposure to conflict; a court can waive this for good cause.

How a parenting plan relates to the custody order

Unlike states that issue a separate custody order and treat the parenting plan as an attachment, Tennessee's Permanent Parenting Plan Order is the custody order. It designates the Primary Residential Parent and Alternate Residential Parent, sets the residential schedule, and allocates decision-making authority in a single document the judge signs and enters. There's no separate ruling to point to; whatever the plan says on these points is the operative legal determination.

Reaching an agreed plan

Courts strongly prefer an agreed plan. Parents typically work out the specifics through mediation, required as a good-faith step before either side returns to court under the dispute-resolution provision, then submit the agreed plan on the standardized form for the judge to approve. If parents can't agree, each files a competing proposed plan, and the judge decides the residential schedule and decision-making terms based on the child's best interest, drawing on both proposals and the factors in Tenn. Code § 36-6-106.

Building the actual schedule

Once the categories above are settled, an OnePage parenting plan generator or custody schedule generator can help draft the specific residential schedule to bring into mediation or transfer onto the official Tennessee form, and a general parenting plan guide covers what goes into a strong plan regardless of jurisdiction.

Official Tennessee 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.