Parenting Plan
Advanced Legal Documents
Parenting Plan / Child Custody Agreement
Create a detailed, child-centered parenting plan through a guided interview. The plan records the parents, children, existing orders, decision-making, school-week and weekend schedules, exchanges, holidays, vacations, parent-child contact, travel, health expenses, special needs, safety conditions, and a disagreement process. It can be used as a proposed plan, signed agreement, or stipulation for any required court review.
Also called: parenting plan, legal document.
What you walk away with
A clean multi-page PDF and DOCX after you finish — not a web-form dump. Preview the document before you pay.
- PDF export
- DOCX export
- E-sign included
- No subscription
Locke begins with state, county, and address, then applies the maintained family-document configuration available for that location. Selecting a location does not determine court jurisdiction or guarantee court acceptance.
Jurisdiction details
See how this document starts in your state
Choose the state where the document will be used. The state page shows the maintained coverage level, local-rule limits, and a builder link with the canonical state code already selected.
When this fits
Use this document when…
- Separating parents documenting an agreed parenting arrangement
- Parents organizing a regular residential and exchange schedule
- Allocating education and nonemergency medical decision-making
- Defining holiday, vacation, travel, and communication expectations
- Preparing a written plan for any required court submission or review
Before you start
Information you will need
- State, county, address, and any existing case or order reference
- Both parents' full legal names and the children covered
- Regular school-week, weekend, exchange, holiday, and vacation schedules
- Education, health, communication, travel, passport, and relocation arrangements
- Health-insurance and uninsured-expense allocation
- Any special-needs, supervision, safety, substance-testing, or dispute terms
What you receive
- Completed comprehensive parenting plan
- PDF download
- Editable DOCX download
- Electronic signature workflow
- Preview before purchase
Document questions
Questions about this document
What is a Parenting Plan / Child Custody Agreement?
Create a detailed, child-centered parenting plan through a guided interview. The plan records the parents, children, existing orders, decision-making, school-week and weekend schedules, exchanges, holidays, vacations, parent-child contact, travel, health expenses, special needs, safety conditions, and a disagreement process. It can be used as a proposed plan, signed agreement, or stipulation for any required court review.
How do I create a Parenting Plan / Child Custody Agreement?
Separating parents documenting an agreed parenting arrangement; Parents organizing a regular residential and exchange schedule; Allocating education and nonemergency medical decision-making
What should a Parenting Plan / Child Custody Agreement include?
State, county, address, and any existing case or order reference; Both parents' full legal names and the children covered; Regular school-week, weekend, exchange, holiday, and vacation schedules; Education, health, communication, travel, passport, and relocation arrangements; Health-insurance and uninsured-expense allocation
Special situations
- An existing custody, support, protective, or parenting order remains controlling unless properly changed
- A court may review, modify, or reject agreed parenting terms where approval is required
- Mediation or joint sessions may be inappropriate when a safety screen or protective order applies
- Relocation and international travel may require steps outside the written agreement
- Emergency and child-safety requirements control over ordinary scheduling terms
Frequently asked questions
Does signing the plan automatically make it a court order?
No. A proposal or signed agreement does not become an entered order merely because it has signatures. Follow any court process required for your situation.
What if an existing order conflicts with this plan?
The existing order remains controlling unless it is changed through the applicable process. Record its case or order reference in the interview.
Can the plan address safety conditions?
Yes. The interview includes supervision, safety, substance-testing, and dispute-process fields, including an express warning that joint dispute sessions may be inappropriate in some circumstances.
Can I preview the plan before paying?
Yes. You complete the guided interview and review the protected preview before checkout is enabled.
Does Locke decide custody or provide legal advice?
No. Locke assists with document generation; it does not decide custody, advise either parent, or predict a court outcome. You may use counsel of your choice.
Related documents
Not legal advice
Locke Direct helps structure documents and workflows. It does not replace a qualified lawyer for complex, unusual, or high-risk situations.
Last reviewed August 3, 2026.