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Design a Parenting Plan with Our Step-by-Step Template

Every custody case needs a parenting plan. It outlines how the children will be cared for, and it becomes a court order once signed by a judge.

When you're writing a plan, it's critical you use airtight language that leaves no room for confusion. And you must be careful not to omit any information required by the court.

Visualize your schedule. Get a written parenting plan. Calculate your parenting time.

Make My Parenting Plan Now

This is where Custody X Change comes in. The app takes guesswork out of the equation by walking you through each step of creating a comprehensive plan.

Even if you hire a lawyer or mediator to write your plan, Custody X Change saves you time and money. It allows you to walk into appointments with decisions made, cutting down on discussion time that racks up a bill.

Custody X Change is the easiest and most reliable way to make a parenting plan because it lets you:

Choose from popular provisions

Choose from over 140 common provisions in categories like "moving" and "child care," all in the legal wording you need. Just select the items you want to include in your plan and fill in the blanks. You can also create custom provisions to meet your family's unique needs.

Integrate your custody schedule

When you select days and times on your visual calendar, the choices instantly appear in writing in your parenting plan. Now you don't have to figure out how to word a schedule so it addresses holidays, school breaks and one-time events in any year; Custody X Change does the work for you. You can also attach the visual calendar to your plan, which judges often appreciate.

Edit quickly and easily

Your plan can be edited both in the app and in a word processor like Microsoft Word. The flexibility is especially helpful when a judge has preferences on details like phrasing or spacing. Easy editing also proves invaluable when you need to present a desired modification to a plan.

Print and share

To share your plan outside the app, print it or save it as a Word or PDF document. To share within the app, link your lawyer's Custody X Change account; this lets them directly edit your parenting plan, calendar, expenses and more, prompting an automatic notification.

Create unlimited plans and drafts

With Custody X Change, you can create as many parenting plans as you need. You might make different plans for each child or ex, or you might save plans as drafts. Either way, switch between them with a simple click of a button.

Customize the details

Do you need a signature section? Do you want to count parenting time by the hour or by overnight visit? You can customize your parenting plan in countless ways to get a final product that meets your family's unique needs AND court standards.

Testimonials

Here's what some of our customers have said:

The judge adopted my plan that I came up with using custody exchange. ... It was invaluable.

Arroyo Grande – Arroyo Grande, CA

The parenting plan ... helped me to be thorough. I was able to use it to provide the lawyer with an easy-to-read list of the things my future ex and I were able to agree on. It was an excellent head-start to be sure!

Greg Rasmussen – Dayton, OH

The billing cost from a lawyer to prepare the documents would exceed the cost of the program and would be inferior. Parents who want more time with their kids need this!! ... It is a truly valuable tool!!

Russell King – Jacksonville, FL

Visualize your schedule. Get a written parenting plan. Calculate your parenting time.

Make My Parenting Plan Now

Explore examples of common schedules

Explore common schedules

Join the 60,000+ other parents who have used our co-parenting tools

Organize your evidence

Track your expenses, journal what happens, and record actual time. Print organized, professional documents.

Co-parent civilly

Our parent-to-parent messaging system, which detects hostile language, lets you collaborate without the drama.

Get an accurate child support order

Child support is based on parenting time or overnights in most jurisdictions. Calculate time instead of estimating.

Succeed by negotiating

Explore options together with visual calendars and detailed parenting plans. Present alternatives and reach agreement.

Never forget an exchange or activity

Get push notifications and email reminders, sync with other calendar apps and share with the other parent.

Save up to $50,000 by avoiding court

Write your parenting agreement without lawyers. Our templates walk you through each step.

Make My Plan

Examples:

Schedules

Long distance schedules

Third party schedules

Holidays

Summer break

Parenting provisions

Scheduling:

How to make a schedule

Factors to consider

Parenting plans:

Making a parenting plan

Changing your plan

Interstate, long distance

Temporary plans

Guides by location:

Parenting plans

Scheduling guidelines

Child support calculators

Age guidelines:

Birth to 18 months

18 months to 3 years

3 to 5 years

5 to 13 years

13 to 18 years

Terminology:

Joint physical custody

Sole physical custody

Joint legal custody

Sole legal custody

Product features:

Software overview

Printable calendars

Parenting plan templates

Journal what happens

Expense sharing

Parenting time tracking

Calculate time & overnights

Ways to use:

Succeed by negotiating

Prepare for mediation

Get ready for court

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Bring calm to co‑parenting. Agree on a schedule and plan. Be prepared with everything documented.

Make My Parenting Plan Now

No thanks, I don't need a parenting plan