Alternatives to the Free CAFCASS Parenting Plan Template in England

The CAFCASS "Our Child's Plan" template is free and provided by Cafcass, and is genuinely insufficient for most separating parents.

That's not a criticism of CAFCASS — their job is to advise the court, not to teach you how to negotiate a parenting schedule. The template provides blank sections with prompts like "What arrangements would you like for school holidays?" and "How will you make decisions about your child's education?" It assumes you already know which scheduling patterns exist, how overnight counts affect Child Maintenance Service assessments, and what the family court looks for in a well-structured plan.

If you already have that knowledge, the template is a clean format for writing it down. If you don't — and most separating parents don't — you need a resource that bridges the gap between "here's a blank form" and "here's how to fill it in strategically."

Here are the realistic alternatives, with honest assessments of what each one actually provides.

Option 1: Structured Parenting Plan Guide

A purpose-built guide designed for self-representing parents in England. The England Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide is the most comprehensive option in this category.

Best for: Parents who need the complete process — from understanding their options to producing a finished plan that a solicitor can convert to a Consent Order. Particularly valuable if you're heading to MIAM, filing a C100, or completing Planning Together for Children.

Limitation: You're paying for the guide, whereas the CAFCASS template is free. If you're a family law professional or an experienced co-parent who already understands scheduling patterns and court expectations, the CAFCASS template's blank format may be all you need.

Option 2: Citizens Advice and Gov.uk (Free, Fragmented)

Citizens Advice provides detailed articles on child arrangements, mediation, court applications, and Parental Responsibility. Gov.uk covers the legal framework and links to relevant forms. Together, they contain most of the factual information you need.

What you get: Reliable, England-specific legal information written in plain English. Coverage of MIAM, the C100 process, CAFCASS, and Consent Orders.

What you don't get: Any of it assembled into a usable workflow. You'll read about scheduling options on one page, CMS calculations on another, CAFCASS safeguarding on a third, and C100 filing on a fourth. Nothing connects them into a sequence, and there are no templates you can download and fill in with your own dates, overnights, and provisions.

Best for: Parents who want free information and are willing to spend the time assembling it themselves. Works well as a supplement to any other resource.

Limitation: You'll spend hours navigating between pages, and you'll still need to create your own parenting plan document from scratch.

Option 3: Family Mediator (£400–£1,500)

A qualified family mediator guides both parents through the negotiation process in structured sessions. Mediation costs between £120 and £150 + VAT per hour per person, with most cases requiring 3–5 sessions for a total cost of £400–£1,500 per parent. The government's Family Mediation Voucher provides up to £500 toward joint mediation sessions.

What you get: A neutral third party who facilitates negotiation, identifies compromises, and produces a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that captures what you've agreed. The mediator understands the legal framework and can steer both parents toward realistic proposals.

What you don't get: Legal advice (mediators must be impartial), a legally binding agreement (the MoU is voluntary — both parents must sign any Consent Order, which the court must approve; a solicitor is optional), or preparation materials for CAFCASS and court hearings if mediation fails.

Best for: Parents who can communicate but need a structured environment and a neutral facilitator to reach agreement. The £500 voucher makes this significantly more affordable than it used to be.

Limitation: Mediation requires both parents to participate willingly. If your co-parent refuses, or if there are safeguarding concerns that make face-to-face negotiation unsafe, mediation isn't available. And even after successful mediation, you may choose a solicitor to formalise the agreement — adding £300–£500 to the total cost.

Option 4: Fixed-Fee Solicitor Consultation (£120–£300)

Some solicitors offer fixed-fee initial consultations where they review your situation and advise on your legal position. A few firms offer fixed-fee parenting plan drafting services, though these are less common and typically cost £500+.

What you get: Personalised legal advice from someone who can assess your specific circumstances — particularly valuable if there are complicating factors like allegations of abuse, relocation concerns, or disputes about Parental Responsibility.

What you don't get: A complete education in the process. A single consultation covers your immediate questions but doesn't give you the scheduling templates, CAFCASS preparation materials, or CMS calculations you'll need to draft a comprehensive plan. Ongoing support requires further billable appointments at £150–£400 per hour.

Best for: Parents with specific legal questions that generic resources can't answer. Also valuable as a second step after using a guide — you draft the plan yourself, then pay a solicitor to review it and advise on any weak points.

Limitation: Cost adds up quickly if you need more than a single session. And a fixed-fee consultation doesn't include the ongoing reference materials you'll need as your situation evolves.

Option 5: Co-Parenting Apps (£9–£13/month per parent)

Apps like Evenli and OurFamilyWizard provide shared calendars, messaging platforms, and expense tracking for co-parents. They're designed for ongoing coordination after you've established your arrangements, not for the initial planning and court preparation stage.

What you get: A structured communication platform that can create records presented as evidence, subject to the court's assessment. Shared scheduling, expense logs, and (on some platforms) tone-monitoring that flags hostile messages.

What you don't get: Help with the initial planning process. These apps assume you already have a parenting plan — they help you execute it day to day. They don't explain how to choose a schedule, prepare for CAFCASS, file a C100, or structure provisions for holidays and travel.

Best for: Parents who already have an agreed arrangement and need a structured platform for ongoing coordination, particularly in high-conflict situations where evidence of communication may be important.

Limitation: Ongoing monthly cost (£108–£156 per year per parent for the paid plans), and they solve a different problem than the CAFCASS template does.

The Realistic Comparison

Most parents who search for alternatives to the CAFCASS template are looking for one thing: guidance on what to write, not just where to write it. The template gives you a professional format. What it doesn't give you is the knowledge to fill it in with provisions that will hold up during mediation, CAFCASS assessments, and court proceedings.

A structured guide fills exactly that gap — for less than the cost of 15 minutes with a solicitor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the CAFCASS template the same as "Our Child's Plan"?

Yes. "Our Child's Plan" is the interactive planning tool that CAFCASS developed for parents going through the Planning Together for Children (PTFC) programme. The downloadable template version is the same framework presented as a printable document. Both provide the same blank prompts without strategic guidance on how to answer them.

Can I use the CAFCASS template and a guide together?

Absolutely — and this is often the best approach. Use a structured guide to learn about scheduling options, CMS implications, and CAFCASS expectations, then write your plan using the "Our Child's Plan" format if you're going through the PTFC programme. The guide provides the knowledge; the template provides a Cafcass-provided format.

Does the court require a specific parenting plan template?

No. The family court does not mandate any particular template. You can submit a parenting plan in any format, though using a structured document with clear headings, specific dates, and comprehensive provisions makes a stronger impression on CAFCASS officers and judges. What matters is the content and completeness of the plan, not which template you used.

Is a parenting plan made from the CAFCASS template legally binding?

No. A parenting plan — regardless of which template you use — is a voluntary agreement. To make it legally binding, both parents must sign a draft Consent Order, which the court reviews and approves; either parent can submit the application. The plan itself, whether drafted on the CAFCASS template or any other format, is the basis for the Consent Order but is not enforceable on its own.

How much does it cost to make a CAFCASS template plan legally binding?

Converting an agreed parenting plan into a child-arrangements Consent Order does not require a solicitor: both parents sign the draft and submit it to the court for approval. A new child-arrangements court application currently carries a £270 court fee; a solicitor may charge £300–£500 to draft it. If you arrive with a detailed, well-structured plan, this is usually a single-session job.

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