How to Make a Parenting Plan in Oregon: Requirements, Templates, and What Judges Expect

Oregon requires a parenting plan in every family court case involving minor children — dissolutions, legal separations, and standalone custody petitions. Under ORS 107.102, any final custody judgment must include a plan that spells out at least the minimum parenting time each parent will have. No parenting plan, no signed judgment.

The plan isn't just a scheduling calendar. It's the legally enforceable document that governs your child's life across two households, and getting it right the first time prevents costly modification fights later.

Three Types of Oregon Parenting Plans

The Oregon Judicial Department publishes three templates, each designed for different circumstances:

Basic Parenting Plan — For standard cases with no safety concerns. This is what most families use. It covers weekly schedules, holiday rotations, school breaks, and communication rules.

Birth-Through-Three Plan — Specifically designed for infants and toddlers. The developmental guidelines recommend shorter, more frequent visits rather than extended overnights during the first three years. The schedule gradually steps up as the child ages.

Safety-Focused Plan — For cases involving domestic violence, substance abuse, or neglect. Two sub-versions exist: one for supervised parenting time only, and one allowing unsupervised daytime visits with no overnights. Exchanges happen at neutral, secure locations.

What Your Parenting Plan Must Include

At minimum, Oregon courts expect these elements:

Weekly schedule — Which parent has the child on which days, including exact transition times and locations. Vague terms like "reasonable parenting time" get rejected.

Holiday rotation — A specific holiday-by-holiday breakdown. Most plans alternate major holidays by odd/even years (e.g., Thanksgiving with Parent A in odd years, Parent B in even years). Holiday schedules override the regular weekly schedule.

School break allocation — Summer vacation, spring break, winter break. Long-distance parents typically get the majority of summer (6-8 weeks) to compensate for reduced contact during the school year.

Exchange logistics — Where pick-ups and drop-offs happen, who transports, and what happens when a parent is late or unavailable.

Communication provisions — How the child communicates with the non-residential parent (phone calls, video chat), including reasonable frequency and timing.

Clauses That Prevent Future Fights

Beyond the required elements, experienced family law practitioners include provisions that head off common disputes:

Right of first refusal — If the parent with scheduled time can't care for the child (work trip, illness), they must offer the other parent that time before calling a babysitter or relative.

Travel and passport notification — Requirements for advance notice before out-of-state or international travel, including itinerary and contact information.

Dispute resolution — A structured process for resolving disagreements (start with direct discussion, escalate to mediation, then court as a last resort) so minor conflicts don't immediately become legal battles.

Decision-making protocols — Even with sole custody, the non-custodial parent has the right to be consulted. Your plan should specify how major decisions are communicated and what constitutes a "major" decision.

Common Mistakes That Get Plans Rejected

Being too vague. "The parents will share time equally" doesn't work. Courts need specific days, times, and locations. A judge will send you back to draft something concrete.

Ignoring developmental needs. Proposing alternating weeks for a two-year-old contradicts Oregon's developmental guidelines and signals to the court that you haven't done your homework.

Missing the parenting classes. Almost every Oregon county requires a parent education class before the judge will sign your final judgment. Classes cost $20-$75 depending on the county, and online courses must be county-approved.

Not accounting for the 73-overnight threshold. Your parenting time schedule directly affects child support calculations. A schedule producing 72 overnights yields zero child support credit; 73 overnights triggers the graduated credit system. This one-night difference can mean hundreds of dollars per month.

Filing Your Plan

Your parenting plan gets filed as part of the General Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage (or as part of a standalone custody petition). If both parents agree on the plan, you can file as co-petitioners and skip formal service, saving time and the cost of process service.

If you can't agree, mandatory mediation comes first — the court won't schedule a trial until you've attempted mediation. Most Oregon counties offer free custody mediation through their family court services department.

The Oregon Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes pre-formatted worksheets for building each section of your plan, with language that matches what Oregon courts expect to see.

See more Oregon guides →