Parenting Plan

What is a parenting plan?

• It is document that describes each parent’s rights and responsibilities regarding the children .
• The parenting plan contains the schedule of when the children will be with each parent.
• It also describes which parent will make which decisions regarding the children.

What if we don’t want to be locked into a rigid schedule?

• As parents you will always have the power to agree to change the parenting plan schedule.
• A schedule of some sort is mandatory. But the schedule is not a straight jacket. It is a base line — a default that will apply unless as parents you agree to do something different.
• If you have already be separated for a while, then the parenting plan would just be a description of whatever has already been working.

How detailed does the parenting plan have to be?

• Mr. Hogan will write your parenting plan to allow you as much flexibility as possible while still covering all the bases that the law requires.

What if the children do not live in Washington state?

• Then we cannot do a parenting plan, even if we want to.
• If the children don’t live in Washington state, then the courts in Washington do not have jurisdiction over the children.

What if we have agreed not to do a parenting plan?

• Sorry. The law applies to your case whether you agree or not.
• Unless your children are at least 18 years old or they live outside of Washington state, you’ll never get your divorce approved unless it includes a parenting plan.

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