Parenting Plan
A written document that spells out how parents will share time with their children and make decisions about their upbringing after a separation or divorce.
A parenting plan is a detailed document that covers all the major decisions about raising a child after parents separate or divorce. In Minnesota, the court requires a parenting plan in every case involving custody or parenting time. The plan is different from a “parenting time schedule,” which is just the calendar of when the child is with each parent. The parenting plan includes that schedule, but it also covers much more.
The plan must address how parents will make major decisions about the child, such as education, healthcare, and religious upbringing. It also covers how parents will handle everyday decisions when the child is in their care, how they will communicate about the child, and how they will resolve disagreements. Minnesota law under section 518.1705 lists the specific topics a parenting plan must address.
Parents can create a parenting plan together, with or without the help of a mediator. If the parents cannot agree, the court will create one. Minnesota courts always focus on the best interests of the child when deciding what the plan should include. A parenting plan becomes part of the court order, which means both parents must follow it.
Why it matters: The parenting plan is the main document that governs how parents share responsibility for their children. Having a clear, detailed plan helps reduce conflict and gives both parents and children stability. Because it becomes a court order, not following it can have legal consequences.
Example: Two parents are going through a divorce and have two children. They work with a mediator to create a parenting plan. The plan says the children will live with one parent during the school week and the other parent every other weekend. It also says both parents must agree on major medical decisions, and they will use a shared online calendar to communicate about scheduling.
Divorce filings, custody agreements, family court orders