How to Fill Out the Tennessee Permanent Parenting Plan Without a Lawyer

You can fill out Tennessee's Permanent Parenting Plan form without a lawyer. The form itself is free from the Administrative Office of the Courts — the challenge is that it is entirely blank, with no instructions on how to structure a schedule, calculate parenting days, or allocate decision-making authority. Here is the section-by-section approach that turns blank fields into a court-ready document.

The Form Is Mandatory — The Instructions Are Not Included

Every divorcing parent with minor children in Tennessee must file a completed Permanent Parenting Plan. The court will not grant a final divorce decree without one. The AOC provides the standardized template, but court clerks are legally prohibited from advising you on how to fill it in. They check formatting and completeness — not substance.

This means you need to make every substantive decision yourself: which parent is PRP, how many days each parent gets, how holidays divide, who makes decisions about education and healthcare, and what happens when parents disagree.

Section-by-Section Walkthrough

Section 1: Parent Information and Children

Straightforward demographics. List both parents' names, addresses, and all children covered by this plan. The address you list here establishes the school zoning district — important if you are requesting PRP designation.

Section 2: Residential Schedule (Regular Parenting Time)

This is where most parents stall. You must choose a specific weekly schedule and describe it clearly enough that a third party could enforce it. Common Tennessee patterns:

2-2-3 Rotation (50/50) Parent A: Monday-Tuesday. Parent B: Wednesday-Thursday. Alternating weekends Friday-Sunday. Produces 182.5 days each annually.

2-2-5-5 Rotation (50/50) Parent A: Monday-Tuesday every week. Parent B: Wednesday-Thursday every week. Alternating Friday-Sunday (5 days on, 5 days off). Produces 182.5 days each annually.

Alternating Weeks (50/50) Each parent has the children for a full week, exchanging on a set day. Produces 182.5 days each. Works best for older children who handle longer separations.

Standard Schedule (approximately 80/20) Children reside with PRP. ARP gets every other weekend (Friday evening to Sunday evening) plus one weeknight. Produces roughly 80-90 ARP days annually.

Write the schedule in specific terms the court can enforce: "Father's residential time begins every other Friday at 6:00 PM and ends Sunday at 6:00 PM, plus every Wednesday from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM."

Section 3: Holiday and Vacation Schedule

The form asks you to allocate every major holiday, school break, and summer vacation. Tennessee courts expect an alternating pattern — Parent A gets Thanksgiving in odd years, Parent B in even years, and so on.

Cover at minimum: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day, New Year's Eve/Day, Spring Break, Summer Vacation (specify exact weeks or a division like first half/second half), each parent's birthday, each child's birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and any religious holidays relevant to your family.

Specify exact pickup and drop-off times. "Christmas" is ambiguous. "December 24 at 5:00 PM through December 25 at 5:00 PM" is enforceable.

Section 4: Decision-Making Authority

Tennessee divides major decisions into four categories:

1. Education: School choice, tutoring, special education decisions
2. Healthcare: Non-emergency medical, dental, mental health treatment
3. Religion: Religious upbringing and participation
4. Extracurricular activities: Sports, clubs, lessons

For each category, designate: Mother, Father, or Joint. Joint means both parents must agree before acting. If you choose joint, include a tie-breaking mechanism (such as mediation) for disagreements.

Section 5: Dispute Resolution

Tennessee requires you to name a process for resolving future co-parenting disagreements before returning to court. Options include:

• Return to Rule 31 mediation
• Use a parenting coordinator
• Submit to binding arbitration
• Use a structured co-parenting communication platform

Section 6: Transportation and Exchange

Specify who drives for pickup and drop-off, or whether you meet at a neutral location. Include specifics: "Exchanges occur at [location] at [time]. Father is responsible for transportation to his residential time. Mother is responsible for transportation to her residential time."

Section 7: Communication With Children

How will the non-residential parent communicate with children during the other parent's time? Specify reasonable phone/video call times: "Children may call or video-chat with the non-residential parent daily between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM."

The Day-Count Check Before Filing

Before submitting your plan, count the exact parenting days your schedule produces. Tennessee's child support guidelines use this number directly:

• At 92+ ARP days: parenting time credit applies (support decreases)
• At 69-91 ARP days: standard range, no adjustment
• At 68 or fewer ARP days: support obligation increases

A 2-2-3 schedule produces 182.5 days each. A standard every-other-weekend schedule produces approximately 80-90 ARP days. Know your number before you file — changing it later requires a modification petition.

Common Mistakes That Get Plans Rejected

1. Vague schedule language: "Reasonable visitation" is not enforceable. Courts require specific days, times, and locations.
2. Missing holiday allocation: Every major holiday must be addressed. Leaving blanks means the judge sends it back.
3. No dispute resolution clause: The form requires it. Leaving it blank is an automatic rejection.
4. Conflicting provisions: If your regular schedule conflicts with your holiday schedule, specify which takes priority.
5. Forgetting summer vacation: A regular school-year schedule is not a complete plan. Address summer explicitly.

Who This Approach Works For

• Cooperative co-parents pursuing an agreed divorce on irreconcilable differences grounds
• Parents who have already discussed schedule preferences and need help formalizing them
• Parents filing pro se who want court-ready paperwork without attorney fees
• Parents preparing for mediation who want a draft plan to negotiate from

Who Should Hire an Attorney Instead

• Parents facing domestic violence, substance abuse, or child safety concerns
• Parents whose co-parent has retained aggressive legal counsel
• Parents with complex asset situations requiring discovery
• Contested PRP designation disputes heading toward trial

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the court accept a parenting plan I filled out myself?

Yes. Tennessee courts evaluate the parenting plan on its content — whether it addresses all required elements, serves the children's best interests, and contains enforceable terms. The court does not require attorney involvement for an agreed plan.

What if the other parent refuses to sign the parenting plan?

If both parents cannot agree, the case becomes contested. The court will order Rule 31 mediation. If mediation fails, the judge decides custody using the 15 best-interest factors under T.C.A. Section 36-6-106(a). Your completed draft still serves as your proposed plan for the court.

Can I change the parenting plan after it is filed?

Yes, through a modification petition. Schedule changes require showing that the current plan is no longer workable. Changing the PRP designation requires proving a material change in circumstances. The threshold for schedule modifications is lower than for PRP changes.

Where do I get the blank form?

The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts provides the Permanent Parenting Plan template on the state court system website. Your county clerk's office also has copies.

The Tennessee Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide walks through every section of the Permanent Parenting Plan with schedule comparison worksheets, day-counting calculators, holiday rotation templates, and the complete Tennessee filing workflow — everything the blank form does not include.

See more Tennessee guides →