DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SUPERIOR COURT
Parenting Plan
***note some pages are missing, however give you an idea of what a parenting plan is
District of Columbia Superior Court Division
The law of the District of Columbia and the policy of the Superior Court are to encourage agreement between the parents and to seek the parents' views about the ways in which the court can protect the best interests of a child in a custody case. This form lists the major decisions that have to be made regarding child custody and the information you provide will be considered by the court in making the custody decision. If the father and mother agree on how custody should be handled, mark Box # 1 below and submit just one parenting plan to the court for both of the parents. If mother and father do not agree, mark the correct box below and submit separate parenting plans to make your individual views known to the court.
District of Columbia law contains a “rebuttable presumption” that joint custody is in the best interests of the child. The term “rebuttable presumption” means that the judge will order joint physical custody and joint legal custody unless one of the parties presents evidence which shows that another arrangement will be better for the child. Joint physical custody means that each parent will have substantial time with the child (usually between 40% and 60%). Joint legal custody means that the parents will share responsibility for making important decisions about the child's life. To assist you in completing this parenting plan, a list of holidays and an example of a completed parenting pan are enclosed.
This parenting plan is submitted by:
Agreement of father and mother _______
Father _______
Mother _______
LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES (check one)
( ) Joint Physical Custody and Joint Legal Custody
(children spend substantial time with each parent and both parents share decision-making responsibilities)
( ) Joint Physical Custody to both parents and Legal Custody to one parent (children spend substantial time with each parent but one parent has responsibility for making major decisions about the children)
( ) Joint Legal Custody to both parents with Principal Physical Custody to one parent and Visitation/Access to the other parent. (both parents share the responsibility for making major decisions about the children, but the children spend most of their time with one parent)
check one
( ) Father shall have Principal Physical Custody;
Mother shall have Visitation/Access
( ) Mother shall have Principal Physical Custody;
Father shall have Visitation/Access
( ) Sole Legal Custody and Principal Physical Custody to one parent with Visitation/Access for the other parent. (one parent has decision-making responsibilities and the children spend most of their time with this parent.
Check one
( ) Mother shall have Legal Custody and Principal Physical Custody; Fathe shall have Visitation/Access
( ) Father shall have Legal Custody and Principal Physical Custody; Mother shall have Scheduled Visitation Time
ESTIMATE THE PERCENTAGE OF TIME THE
CHILD (REN) WILL SPEND WITH EACH PARENT (Mother % + Father % should equal 100%)
Mother: 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Father: 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
MAJOR DECISIONS ABOUT THE CHILD (REN) SHALL BE MADE AS FOLLOWS:
Mother/Father/Joint
a. education decisions
b. non-emergency health care
c. religious upbringing
d. __(repeat for more areas)
RESIDENTIAL SCHEDULE FOR PRE-SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN
(check one)
4. ( ) There are no children of pre-school age
(If this box is checked, go directly to the School Age Residential Schedule on the next page).
( ) There are one or more children of pre-school age.
(If this box is checked, complete the following schedule. This schedule may be the same for each week or different from one week to the next. Consider selecting a neutral location where you and your co-parent will exchange the child (ren).)
SCHEDULE FOR: _______________________________
(Name of Child/Children)
WITH FATHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH MOTHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH FATHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH MOTHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
Please complete a separate schedule located at the end of this document if there is more than one child and each child has a different residential schedule.
If there are also children of School Age, then go to the next page OR
If there are no children of School Age, then go to page 6.
RESIDENTIAL SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR
5. ( ) There are one or more children of school age.
(If this box is checked, complete the following schedule. This schedule may be the same for each week or different from one week to the next. Consider selecting a neutral location where you and your co-parent will exchange the child (ren).)
SCHEDULE FOR: ________________________________
(Name of Child/Children)
WITH FATHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH MOTHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange ________________________________
THEN WITH FATHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH MOTHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
Please complete a separate schedule located at the end of this document if there is more than one child and each child has a different residential schedule.
SUMMER PARENTING SCHEDULE
6. THE CHILD (REN) SHALL SPEND TIME WITH BOTH PARENTS AS FOLLOWS: (check one)
( ) Same as school schedule (If this box is checked, go to next page)
( ) The following schedule indicates the time the child(ren) will spend with each parent during the school summer vacation period.
(If this box is checked, complete the following schedule. This schedule may be the same for each week or differ from one week to the next. Consider choosing a neutral location for exchanges).
SCHEDULE FOR: ________________________________
Name of Child/Children)
WITH FATHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH MOTHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH FATHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
THEN WITH MOTHER:
From ____________________________ to ________________________
Day and Time
Place of exchange _______________________________
Please complete a separate schedule located at the end of this document if there is more than one child and each child has a different vacation schedule.
Holidays and Vacation
7. ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE FOR EACH HOLIDAY/EVENT
(check one and fill-in the time/date specifics)
( ) Children share the day with mother and father
a. Mother: From ____________ To _____________
Father: From ____________ To ____________
Place of exchange _______________________
( ) children spend the entire day with father one year, then spend the entire day with mother the next year
The child (ren)l shall be with father beginning in 200___; with mother beginning in 200___.
b. Time and place of exchange ________________________
( ) Other
a. Explain your plan ________________________
(the above format is repeated for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Easter, Other religious holidays, Thanksgiving, Halloween, July 4, Children's Birthdays, Other Holidays/Events)
OTHER DAYS OF CHRISTMAS VACATION OR SPRING BREAK
( ) Children share the Christmas vacation (or Spring Break) with mother and father
a. Mother: From ____________ To _____________
Father: From ____________ To ____________
b. Place of exchange _________________________
( ) children spend the entire Christmas vacation (or Spring Break) with father one year, then spend the entire day with mother the next year
a. The child (ren) shall be with father beginning in 200___; with mother beginning in 200___.
b. Time and place of exchange ________________________
( ) Other
Explain your plan
MOTHER'S DAY/FATHER'S DAY
( ) Children shall spend the entire day with Mother (or Father) every year
( ) Children share the day with mother and father
a. Mother: From ____________ To _____________
Father: From ____________ To ____________
Place of exchange ________________________
( ) Children spend the entire day with father one year, then spend the entire day with mother the next year
The child (ren)l shall be with father beginning in 200___; with mother beginning in 200___.
b. Time and place of exchange ________________________
( ) Other
a. Explain your plan
PARENT BIRTHDAYS
( ) Children shall be with the parent on the parent's birthday each year
Mother's birthday date, time and place of exchange
________________________
Father's birthday date, time and place of exchange
___________________________
( ) Other ________________________________
(COPY MISSING PAGES 11, 12, 13)
15. WHEN MY CO-PARENT AND I DISAGREE, I WILL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS BEFORE RETURNING TO COURT.
( ) Neutral third party
( ) Neutral, mutual friend/acquaintance
Name: ___________________
( ) D.C. Superior Court Multi-Door Dispute Resolution
( ) Private Mediator; trained mental health professional Name:
( ) private mediator; lawyer
Name:
( ) Clergy - ______________________
( ) Counselor - ______________________
( ) Arbitrator - ________________________
( ) Other - ___________________________
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
ISSUE:
PLAN:
(repeated for additional items)
(more pages missing)
