Parenting Plan Template: What to Include and How to Write One

Writing a parenting plan from a blank page is intimidating. There's a lot to cover, the stakes feel high, and most parents have no template to work from. This piece walks through every section a UK parenting plan should contain, what each one needs to address, and the kind of wording that holds up over time. Use it as a working framework; for full templates with adaptable wording across each section, see our toolkit in the shop.

1. The Preamble

A short opening section that names both parents, identifies the children covered by the agreement, and sets out the underlying intention.

Sample structure: "This Parenting Plan is made between [Parent A name] and [Parent B name] in relation to our children: [child name and date of birth], [child name and date of birth]. We have agreed this plan to provide clarity, stability, and continuity for our children following our separation. We commit to following it in good faith and reviewing it as circumstances change."

The preamble matters because it frames the document. A plan opened with mutual commitment reads differently from one that jumps straight into clauses.

2. Parental Responsibility

A short clause confirming the legal position. For most UK separated parents both parents retain parental responsibility after separation. Where this isn't the case (for example, where one parent has acquired parental responsibility through a more recent legal step) the position should be stated.

Sample: "Both parents hold parental responsibility for the children under English and Welsh family law and both retain it under the terms of this plan."

3. Living Arrangements and Schedule

The longest and most detailed section. Cover:

• Where the children primarily live
• The specific weekly schedule, by day and night
• Handover times and locations
• Transport responsibilities

For a 2-2-3 schedule, the wording might be: "The children will be with Parent A on Monday and Tuesday nights, with Parent B on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and alternate weekends with each parent (Friday handover from school, returning to school Monday morning). Weekday handovers will take place at school where possible."

Be specific. Vague schedules generate disputes.

4. Holidays and School Breaks

A separate section covering:

• Christmas — typically alternated by year, with the specific wording for each year
• Half-terms — typically alternated, with the specific weeks named
• Easter — alternated or split
• Summer holiday — typically two to three weeks each, with the regular schedule slotting around
• Bank holidays falling within the school week
• INSET days — usually handled by whoever has the night before

Sample Christmas wording: "In even years, the children will be with Parent A from the end of school on the last day of term until 11am on Christmas Day, and with Parent B from 11am on Christmas Day until 6pm on Boxing Day. In odd years, this pattern reverses."

5. Special Occasions

A short section covering:

• The children's birthdays — primary celebration with one parent, marked with the other
• Mother's Day and Father's Day — child with the relevant parent
• The parents' birthdays — child with the relevant parent for some part of the day
• Significant family events as they arise

6. Decision-Making

Cover which decisions need joint agreement and which each parent can make alone.

Sample: "The following decisions require both parents' agreement: choice of school; significant medical interventions; religious upbringing; significant changes to extra-curricular activities; relocation outside the current school catchment. All other day-to-day decisions are made by whichever parent the children are with at the time."

Then: "Where the parents cannot agree on a major decision, they will attempt to resolve the matter by (a) direct discussion through the agreed communication channel, (b) family mediation, and only thereafter (c) such other steps as either parent considers appropriate, which may include seeking legal advice or an application to the family court."

7. Communication Between Parents

A short but high-impact section:

• The agreed channel (a named co-parenting app, an agreed email address, etc.)
• Response times for non-urgent messages
• Definition of "emergency" and how emergencies are handled
• Scope: child-related matters only
• Children are never used as messengers

Sample: "Routine communication between the parents will take place through [OurFamilyWizard / TalkingParents / agreed channel]. Non-urgent messages will be responded to within 24 hours during weekdays and 48 hours at weekends. Emergencies will be communicated by phone call with a written follow-up logged through the agreed channel."

8. Communication Between Children and the Other Parent

How the children stay in touch with the parent they're not with at any given time. Cover:

• Phone, video, and messaging — generally free access where age-appropriate
• For younger children, scheduled calls at predictable times
• The principle that neither parent will restrict the children's contact with the other

9. Health and Welfare

• Both parents to be notified of medical appointments
• Both parents to receive reports
• Joint decision-making on significant interventions
• Emergency procedures

10. Education

• Both parents on the school's contact list
• Both parents receiving reports
• Parents' evenings attended together or in separate slots
• School trips and decisions handled jointly
• Choice of school for the next stage handled jointly

11. Financial Matters

• Reference to the maintenance arrangement (whether by Child Maintenance Service, family-based arrangement, or court order)
• Framework for shared costs beyond maintenance
• How one-off costs above an agreed threshold are decided

A clause to consider: "Financial discussions between the parents will be conducted separately from communications about the children, to avoid the two streams becoming entangled."

12. New Partners

• Minimum period of a new relationship before introduction to the children
• Notice to the other parent
• Whether new partners attend handovers or children's events

13. Travel and Relocation

• Notice for taking children on holiday
• Sharing of travel details
• Written consent for international travel
• A specific clause requiring meaningful notice and discussion of any proposed significant relocation

14. Dispute Resolution

A short section setting out the stepped process:

1. Direct discussion through the agreed channel
2. Family mediation
3. Only thereafter, legal advice and possible application to the family court

15. Review and Modification

• Annual review built in
• Trigger-based review for significant changes in circumstances
• Process for documenting agreed changes

Sample: "The parents will review this plan annually, on or around the anniversary of its signing. Any agreed modifications will be documented as a signed addendum to the plan. Either parent may request an interim review where a significant change in circumstances requires it."

16. Signatures

Both parents sign and date the document. Both parents retain a copy in an accessible place.

Beyond the Template

A template is a starting point, not a finished document. Adapt every clause to fit your family. Speak to a family solicitor before signing anything significant, particularly if you intend to submit the plan as a consent order to give it legal force.

For complete drafted templates with full wording for each section above, plus variants for different family structures and conflict levels, see the Parenting Agreement Toolkit in the shop.