OnePageTemplates
Parenting plan and custody schedule templates
A free, plain-language outline you can copy, fill in, and bring to your co-parent or attorney. This isn't legal advice, courts in your state or country may have their own required format.
Choose your starting point
Choose by the task you need to finish. These resources organize a proposal; they do not decide custody, check legal compliance, or replace required court forms.
- Editable outline: copy the headings and bracketed example below into your own document.
- Generated draft: answer prompts to organize the plan, then review the resulting text and missing details.
- Dated calendar: test where the child will be on real dates. Add holidays and exceptions according to the governing plan.
Parenting plan template
Use this outline to organize a first draft covering the schedule and day-to-day parenting decisions. Your court may require a particular form, attachments, or filing process. Copy the section headers below into a document and fill in your own details, then check the current instructions for your jurisdiction before filing.
Start with our jurisdiction guides and confirm requirements with the court itself. For example, Washington Courts provides parenting-plan forms. A signed private draft does not automatically become a court order, and a court can resolve disputed terms without both parents agreeing.
This structure follows the practical topics identified in Justice Canada's official Parenting Plan Checklist, including parenting time, transportation, communication, holidays, travel, healthcare, activities, and future changes. Local courts may require different terms or forms.
1. Legal and physical custody
State who holds legal custody (decision-making authority over education, healthcare, and religion) and physical custody (where the child lives day to day). Note whether either is joint or sole, and who has final say if the two of you can't agree on a specific decision.
2. The custody schedule
Spell out the regular week-to-week schedule in plain terms, for example, alternating weeks, or a 2-2-3 rotation, including exact pickup and drop-off times and locations. Vague schedules ('flexible,' 'as agreed') are the most common source of disputes, so be specific even if you expect to be flexible in practice.
3. Holidays and school breaks
List holidays and school breaks, with exact start and end times and odd/even-year assignments. State whether holidays override the regular rotation and how holiday/vacation conflicts are resolved. Follow your actual order; an example priority rule is not universal.
4. Transportation and exchanges
Who drives, where the exchange happens (a home, school, or neutral location), and what happens if someone is running late. Small logistics like this are worth writing down since they're a frequent source of friction.
5. Communication between households
How and how often parents will communicate about the child, and through what channel. Many plans specify a shared app or written channel for anything that might matter later, rather than verbal-only exchanges at handoff.
6. Expenses
How costs beyond basic support are split, medical, extracurriculars, school supplies, childcare, and how reimbursement requests are made and by when.
7. Decision-making for non-routine situations
A process for decisions the plan doesn't explicitly cover, who has authority to decide, and what happens if you disagree (mediation, a parenting coordinator, or the court).
8. Review and modification
When and how the plan can be revisited, many parents build in an annual review, or a review tied to a major life change like a move or a child starting school.
Simple parenting plan example
This compact example shows the level of detail a usable starting point needs. Replace every bracketed item and compare the result with your current order and local forms.
Regular schedule: Parent A has [days and overnights]. Parent B has [days and overnights]. The rotation begins [date].
Exchanges: Exchanges occur at [location] at [time]. [Parent] provides transportation. A delay longer than [minutes] is reported through [channel].
Holidays: Subject to the governing order, [holiday or vacation rule] controls when dates overlap. The regular rotation resumes at [time]. Identify any permitted temporary exception by its exact dates; safety restrictions still apply.
Decisions: Major school and non-emergency health decisions are [joint or allocated]. Day-to-day decisions are made by the parent caring for the child.
Changes: Where the order permits agreed temporary changes, a routine request is sent through [channel] at least [days] ahead. Record written acceptance and the return to the usual schedule. Follow any required court process.
This is educational drafting language, not a court form or legal advice.
Shared parenting schedule example
This two-week 2-2-5-5 example gives each parent fixed weekdays and alternating weekends. Add exact exchange times, the first rotation date, holidays, and transportation before using it.
| Week | Mon-Tue | Wed-Thu | Fri-Sun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Parent A | Parent B | Parent A |
| Week 2 | Parent A | Parent B | Parent B |
Want a version built around your actual schedule? Our parenting plan generator walks through the same sections interactively and fills in the specifics for you.
Before you rely on the draft
Put the completed plan through these five tests before sharing it for legal review:
- 1. Calendar test: Can a neutral person identify where the child will be on any ordinary school day and holiday?
- 2. Exception test: Does it cover illness, school closure, delays, and requested swaps?
- 3. Decision test: Is responsibility clear for school, healthcare, activities, and emergencies?
- 4. Communication test: Are the channel, response expectations, and emergency method stated?
- 5. Local-law test: Does the draft match existing orders and current court requirements?
Custody schedule templates
Rather than a blank template, custody schedules are easier to start from a real pattern. Our guides break down how each common schedule actually works month to month:
Or generate a calendar view of any pattern for your own dates with the custody schedule generator.
Parenting plan template FAQs
Can I use this parenting plan template in court?
This outline can help you prepare a first draft, but it is not a substitute for the forms, filing rules, or legal review required in your jurisdiction. Compare it with your court's current instructions before filing anything.
What is the difference between a parenting plan and a custody schedule?
A custody schedule describes when the child is with each parent. A parenting plan is broader and can also address decision-making, holidays, exchanges, communication, travel, expenses, and dispute resolution.
Should a parenting plan include exact exchange times?
Yes. Exact days, times, locations, transportation responsibilities, and school-closure fallbacks make the schedule easier to understand and use.
What is a simple parenting plan example?
A simple plan still names the regular schedule, exact exchanges, holiday priority, major-decision responsibilities, one communication channel, travel notice, expense handling, and a process for changes. Simple should mean easy to follow, not vague.
For a deeper explanation of each clause, read what goes into a parenting plan and use the parenting plan checklist.
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