The Benefits of Creating a Parenting Plan
A Parenting Plan is an agreement that:
(a) is in writing;
(b) is or was made between the parents of a child;
(c) is signed by the parents of the child;
(d) is dated; and
(e) deals with matters such as:
(i) the person or persons with whom the child is to live;
(ii) the time a child is to spend with another person or persons;
(iii) the allocation of parental responsibility for a child;
(iv) if the parental responsibility is shared for a child – the form of consultations those persons are to have with one another about decisions to be made in the exercise of that responsibility;
(v) the communication a child is to have with another person or other persons;
(vi) maintenance of a child;
(vii) the process to be used for resolving disputes about the terms or operation of the plan
(viii) the process to be used for changing the plan to take account of the changing needs or circumstances of the child or the parties to the plan;
(ix) any aspect of the care, welfare or development of the child or any other aspect of parental responsibility for a child.
The benefits of creating a Parenting Plan include:
1. Parents can make their own decisions about what to include in the Parenting Plan which suits their individual circumstances.
2. A Parenting Plan can be changed at any time if both parents agree.
3. Parents have control over the contents of the Parenting Plan and the process.
4. A Parenting Plan is flexible and easy to sign.
5. A Parenting Plan saves time, legal costs and the stress of having to be in the Court system.
6. Parents can cancel or change a Parenting Plan at any time by making a new written, dated and signed agreement.
Parenting Plans are a great way for parents who communicate, co-parent and trust each other to document their arrangements with some flexibility.
We strongly recommend that parents obtain legal advice about whether a Parenting Plan may or may not be right for their situation.