When you and your child’s other parent are unable to come to an agreement about parenting time, you may need the state of Pennsylvania to make custody decisions for you. In all contested custody proceedings, the state requires that you submit something called a parenting plan.
The parenting plan outlines certain stipulations you and the other parent agree to adhere to when raising your son or daughter in separate homes. The state requires that your parenting plan cover the following specific areas, among others.
How you plan to split time
Use your parenting plan to discuss which parent is going to be responsible for the child, and when. Be as specific as possible when doing so. Make notes about how you plan to manage holidays, birthdays, school vacations and so on from one year to the next.
How you plan to handle medical care
Your parenting plan should also discuss anything pertinent to your child’s physical or mental health. Do you plan to share information from doctor’s visits with one another? Do you both agree to confer before agreeing to certain medical procedures or treatments? The more thorough you are in this section, and in the parenting plan, in general, the better.
How you plan to manage transportation
Many former couples argue over who is responsible for transporting the child to and from each parent’s home. Making stipulations about who holds what responsibility in this area may help prevent these disagreements before they arise.
Other areas to address in your parenting plan include any childcare arrangements you have in place, any information about your child’s religious upbringing and how you plan to handle disagreements that may arise along the way.