Parenting Agreements

Parenting agreements, also referred to as parenting plans are written agreements between two parents that determine how legal custody and visitation will be handled. A parenting agreement deals with the same terms as a custody and visitation agreement but is not decided by a judge.

Parenting agreements need to have two essential components, a schedule for the child’s visitation with each parent and who will have the legal power to make decisions on behalf of the child. The visitation schedule should stipulate when each parent will have time with the child, including how holidays and school vacations will be shared. The parenting agreement should also include who the decision-making parent will be. In the absence of a parenting agreement, a court would determine which parent would receive legal and physical custody of the child.

When a parent who has legal custody of a child will have the ultimate say in decisions such as where that child will reside, where they may travel, what school or child care institution they will attend, and what religious activities they will practice. A parenting agreement may stipulate that both parents are the legal guardians of the child, which is referred to as joint legal custody. Parents with joint legal custody generally have an equal say in important child rearing decisions. If only one parent has legal custody, that is referred to sole legal custody and that parent will have the ultimate say in that child’s important life decisions.

At Levine Law Group, we understand that your children come first. Contact our office today to discuss your situation today.

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