Fillable Printable Parenting Plan Worksheet - New York
Fillable Printable Parenting Plan Worksheet - New York
Parenting Plan Worksheet - New York
PARENTING PLAN CONSIDERATIONS
When crafting a parenting plan, there are numerous issues to be discussed and considered.
The following worksheet addresses many of the concerns of separating parents. Once you have
filled out this worksheet, you can share it with the other parent and have a more meaningful
conversation. You can also give a copy to your lawyer, mediator, or Attorney for the Child.
Encouraging & Facilitating Cooperation Between Parents
In Their Children's Best Interests
Name________________________________ Date___________
INITIATING THE PLANNING PROCESS
Child care encompasses years during which children are maturing, needs and
interests are changing, and the economic circumstances and other responsibilities of
parents may also be changing. Therefore, child care plans are not intended to be rigid,
categorical or without evolution.
The purpose of child care planning, on behalf of the child's best interest, is to
encourage negotiation in a spirit of cooperation and accommodation.
The purpose of this form is to assist you in working out a parenting plan which
maximizes the involvement of both parents for the best interests of the child.
Customarily, child care encompasses decisions regarding, but not limited to:
Medical Care, Education, Religion, Residence, Travel, Support.
Not every question can or need be fully answered.
The intent of this exercise is not to imply that every consideration needs to be
resolved before a child care plan can be implemented.
Instead, the intent of these questions has been to focus your attention on the
practical considerations of implementing a child care plan and to do so without the
antagonisms or apprehensions that frequently accompany divorce or separation.
Finally, the intention has been to demonstrate that since there is such a wide
range of considerations (no single item need be crucial), parents are encouraged to be
flexible and accommodating in recognizing each other's preferences and needs.
1. Information about the children
Full Name Date of birth Gender Social Security No.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Consider what type of custody arrangement seems most suitable.
The following definitions may be helpful:
"Joint custody" or "joint legal custody" or “shared decision making” are terms
which describe the legal relationship between parent and child when the parents are
married. That is, each parent has full access to medical, psychological, and school
records. Each parent has the right to have a say in major decisions in the child's life.
Most couples maintain this legal relationship to their children after the divorce.
"Sole custody" describes a relationship where only one of the parents has the
right to make major decisions in the child's life, to have access to school records, etc.
"Residential custody" is the term often applied to describe the parental
relationship in the home which is to be considered the primary residence of the child.
"Joint residential custody" would imply that the child's time is to be split between
the two homes and that the parents are therefore sharing residential custody.
"Split custody" is a term used to describe a situation where there are several
children and each parent has residential custody of some of the children.
Thus, it is possible for each parent to retain "joint legal custody" over all
children, while engaging in any form of residential custody to which the parents may
agree.
2. Parenting Time Schedule
RESIDENCE SCHEDULE
Propose a residence schedule, and the sharing of significant calendar dates.
You are encouraged to propose time schedules that are practical, realistic, and
suitable for your personal schedule as well as accommodating to the probable schedule
of the alternate parent. In exchanging and allocating time available, consider not only
alternate days, but alternate years (for example odd and even numbered years).
2.1 Weekday and Weekend Schedule
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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2.2 Summer Schedule
Choose One:
G The Schedule described above in Section 2.1 will continue throughout the
summer except that
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
OR
G The Schedule will be different during the summer as described below:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.3 Are the following days important in your scheduling? The following holiday
schedule will take priority over the regular weekday, weekend, and summer schedules
discussed above. If a holiday is not specified as even, odd or every year with one
parent, then the regular weekday, weekend, or summer schedule applies.
Note: For Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New
Year’s Day, Winter Break, Spring break, and Children’s Birthdays, provide
additional details below in Sections 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7.
Date Even Years Odd Years Every Year Beg/End Times
Child’s birthday
Your birthday
Labor Day
Rosh Hashanah
Columbus Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Day
Thanksgiving
Holiday
Hanukkah
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Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Christmas
vacation
New Year's Eve
New Year's Day
Martin Luther
King Day
Special religious
dates
President's Day
Valentine's Day
Winter vacation
St. Patrick's Day
Easter Eve
Easter
Easter / spring
vacation
Mother's Day
Memorial Day
Father's Day
Fourth of July
School or
teacher-
convenient days
off
Other relatives’
birthdays
Other
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Are there events, club meetings, obligations or opportunities you would like to
accommodate on behalf of the child? Give details.
2.4 Thanksgiving Details
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.5 Christmas, New Year’s, Winter School Break
Choose One:
G The regular schedule will apply during Winter Break in accordance with the
Schedule described in Section 2.1 above.
OR
G The Holiday schedule will apply in accordance with the Schedule outlined in
Section 2.3 above.
OR
G Our child(ren) will spend half of Winter Break with each parent.
OR
G Details for sharing time during Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s
Eve and Day are as follows:
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.6 Spring Break
Choose One:
G The regular schedule will apply during Winter Break in accordance with the
Schedule described in Section 2.1 above.
OR
G The Holiday schedule will apply in accordance with the Schedule outlined in
Section 2.3 above.
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OR
G Our child(ren) will spend half of Spring Break with each parent.
OR
G Details for sharing time during Spring Break are as follows:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.7 Child(ren)’s Birthdays
Choose One:
G The regular schedule will apply for child(ren)’s birthdays in accordance with
the Schedule described in Section 2.1 above.
OR
G The Holiday schedule will apply in accordance with the Schedule outlined in
Section 2.3 above.
OR
G Birthday celebrations will be planned so that both parents participate in the
celebration.
OR
G Our child(ren) will celebrate birthdays according to the following
plan:_________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.8 Other Holiday and Vacations: Details are as follows:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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2.9 Number of Overnights
Our schedule for sharing time with our child(ren) results in our child(ren)
spending ______overnights in the home of _____________(name of one parent) and
_____ overnights in the home of ______ (name of other parent).
2.10 Primary Residence (Optional).
G We agree that our child[ren] shall primarily reside with
(name of one parent).
G We agree that neither residence shall be considered the “primary residence”.
2.11 Right of First Refusal. Do you want to agree that if you are in need of
child care or baby sitting, that you will contact the other parent prior to
hiring a sitter?
G We choose not to specify a right of first refusal.
G We choose to contact the other parent only if that parent would be required to
help pay for the sitter for employment related absenses.
G Our arrangements regarding right of first refusal are:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.12 Temporary Changes to the Schedule.
G Any schedule for sharing time with our child[ren] may be changed as long as
both parents agree to the changes ahead of time G in writing OR G verbally (choose
one).
G Activities scheduled during the other parent’s time must be coordinated with
the other parent.
Makeup and Missed Parenting Time:
G Only substantial medical reasons will be considered sufficient for
postponement of parenting time.
G If a child is ill and unable to spend time with a parent, a makeup parenting
time will be scheduled.
G If a parent fails to have the child[ren] during their scheduled parenting time for
any other reason, there will be no makeup of parenting time unless the parties agree
otherwise G in writing.
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2.13 Permanent Changes to the Schedule.
We understand that, once the judge signs the final order in our case and
approves a Parenting Plan, any changes that we do not agree on can be made only by
applying to the court and proving that there has been a “change in circumstance”.
Before applying to the court, we understand that we can agree to try to resolve
our dispute through mediation or other means. (See Section 16).
3. DECISION-MAKING:
3.1 Day-to-Day Decisions.
G Each parent will make day-to-day decisions regarding the care and control of
our child[ren] during the time they are caring for our child[ren]. This includes any
emergency decisions affecting the health or safety of our child[ren].
3.2 Major Decisions.
Major decisions include, but are not limited to, decisions about our child[ren]’s
education, non-emergency healthcare, religious training, and extracurricular activities,
including summer camp and the need for tutoring.
Choose One:
G (parent’s name) shall have
sole decision-making authority on major decisions about our child[ren]. This
arrangements is known by the courts as Sole Custody,
OR
G Both parents will share in the responsibility for making major decisions about
our child[ren]. This arrangement is known by the courts as Joint Custody.
AND (Choose One)
G (Parent’s name) shall always
consult with the other parent prior to making major decisions.
G (Parent’s name) shall have
the option to consult with the other parent prior to making major decisions.
OR
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G Other – Describe how major decisions will be handled, including dividing the
responsibility for major decisions between the parents according to each parent’s
strengths/weaknesses:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. INFORMATION SHARING:
Unless there is a court order stating otherwise:
G Both parents are entitled to important information regarding our child[ren]
including but not limited to, our child[ren]’s current address and telephone number,
education, medical, governmental agency, psychological and law enforcement records.
G Information about our child[ren]’s progress in school and any school activity is
equally available to both parents. Both parents are encouraged to consult with school
staff concerning our child[ren]’s welfare and education.
G Both parents will immediately notify each other regarding any emergency
circumstances or substantial changes in the health of our child[ren].
G We will provide advance notification to the other parent about proposed and
forthcoming medical care.
G We will both attend doctor appointments.
G Both parents will provide each other with contact numbers and addresses and
will notify each other of any change in that information within 72 hours of such a
change. If either parent takes our child[ren] from their usual place of residence, they will
provide the other parent with an emergency contact phone number.
5. RELOCATION OF A PARENT:
The parties understand that whether or not a parent can relocate the residence of
a child is a decision made by the Court based on the best interests of the child,
irrespective of the wishes of the parents. With that understanding , do you want to
include relocation language in your agreement to indicate how you feel about
relocation?
5.1 G Neither parent shall relocate outside his/her immediate vicinity without
the prior permission of the other parent or an order of the court.
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5.2 Other: G
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. PARENT-CHILD COMMUNICATION:
Choose One:
G Both parents and child[ren] shall have the right to communicate by telephone,
in writing or by e-mail during reasonable hours without interference or monitoring by the
other parent.
OR
G Procedures for telephone, written and e-mail access (describe how access
will work):
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. EXCHANGE OF OUR CHILD[REN]:
7.1 Choose One:
G Both parents will share equally in the responsibility of exchanging our
child[ren] from one parent to the other while parents continue to reside in the same
locale.
OR
G Procedures for exchanging our child[ren] (provide details):
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7.2 G Both parents shall have the child[ren] ready on time with sufficient
clothing packed and ready at the agreed-upon time of the exchange.
G All clothing that accompanied our child[ren] shall be returned to the
other parent.
G Clothing will be clean when returned.
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8. MUTUAL RESPECT:
G Parents will not say things or knowingly allow others to say things in the
presence of our child[ren] that would take away our child[ren]’s love and respect for the
other parent.
9. RELIGION
This section is presented to aid parents in recognizing and accommodating each
others preferences and is not meant to imply any value judgments.
Are you interested in and willing to assume a religious education responsibility?
Yes___ No___ Comment:
Do you have a religious preference for each child?
Yes______ No______ Comment:
10. SUPPORT
Are you aware of the Child Support Guidelines as established by the State of
New York?
Yes___ No___ Comment:
Have you worked out what the support payment would be according to the
guidelines?
Yes___ No___ Comment:
Do you feel that the support payment per the Guidelines is appropriate and
correct?
Yes___ No___ Comment:
Are you open to discussing alternatives to the established guidelines?
Yes___ No___ Comment:
If you answered yes to the last question, consider the following alternatives to
the Guidelines:
Would you want to decrease or increase the guideline amount of support?
Yes___ No___ Comment:
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