Parenting plan outline

Use this as a starting point for a written plan. Cafcass's Planning Together template covers similar ground in more detail.^[9]

Section	What to agree
Living arrangements	Where the children live and the regular pattern of time with each parent, including overnights.
Handovers	Where, when and who. School or nursery pick-ups where possible. What happens if someone is late.
School holidays	How the summer, Easter, half terms and Christmas are split. How far ahead dates are confirmed.
Special days	Birthdays, religious festivals, Mother's Day, Father's Day and other family occasions.
Communication between parents	Which channel, what topics, expected response times, what counts as urgent.
Children's contact with the other parent	Phone or video calls when they're in the other home: when and how often.
Education	How school choices are made, who attends parents' evenings, how reports and letters are shared.
Health	GP and dentist, sharing information about illness and appointments, medication between homes.
Activities	Clubs and hobbies, who takes them, how costs are shared.
Money	Child maintenance arrangement, how extra costs are split, how receipts are shared.
Travel	Notice and information needed for holidays in the UK and abroad, and written consent.
New partners	How and when new partners will be introduced, and telling the other parent first.
Changes	How much notice for a change, how it's requested and confirmed.
Disagreements	What happens if you can't agree: a cooling-off period, then mediation.
Review	When the plan will be looked at again, for example every six months or at the start of each school year.