What to Include in a Parenting Plan

A parenting plan that says "the kids will split time between mum and dad" is technically valid — it's in writing and signed by both parents. But it's practically useless. The first time school pickup falls on an ambiguous day or Christmas overlaps with a regular weekend, you're back to arguing.

Here's everything a comprehensive parenting plan should cover, section by section.

1. Basic Details and Effective Date

Start with the fundamentals:

• Full legal names of both parents
• Full names and dates of birth of each child
• The date the plan takes effect
• A statement that both parents enter the agreement freely and without duress (this is a legal requirement under Australian family law)

2. Living Arrangements

Specify where each child lives as their primary residence and the regular schedule for time with each parent. Be precise:

• Which nights the child sleeps at each home (not "every other weekend" — specify "Friday 5pm to Sunday 5pm on the first and third weekends of each month")
• Midweek contact: which days, pickup and drop-off times
• Variations for different age children in the same family (an infant might have different overnight arrangements than a school-age sibling)

3. Changeover Logistics

Changeovers are where conflict actually lives. Specify:

• Location: At a parent's home, at school/childcare, or at a neutral public place
• Who transports: Does the collecting parent pick up, or does the delivering parent drop off?
• Time buffer: What happens if someone is 15-30 minutes late?
• What the child brings: School bag, medications, favourite toy, change of clothes
• Communication during changeover: Text confirmation when the child arrives safely

If conflict is high, school-based changeover eliminates face-to-face contact entirely — one parent drops off in the morning, the other collects in the afternoon.

4. School Holiday Schedule

The regular weekly schedule usually doesn't apply during school holidays. Address:

• How holidays are divided (halves, alternating weeks, or allocated blocks)
• Who gets the first half in odd years vs even years
• Handover day and time for holiday periods
• Whether the regular midweek schedule pauses during the other parent's holiday block

In Western Australia, the four school term breaks plus the long summer holiday (mid-December to late January) each need explicit allocation.

5. Special Occasions

Specify arrangements for:

• Mother's Day and Father's Day — child spends the day with the relevant parent regardless of whose "turn" it is
• Child's birthday — shared, alternating, or a defined split (morning with one parent, party/afternoon with the other)
• Parent birthdays — if applicable
• Christmas/New Year — alternating years, or a fixed split (Christmas Eve to Boxing Day with one parent, Boxing Day to New Year's Day with the other)
• Easter — particularly relevant for families with religious observance
• Cultural or religious events — Eid, Diwali, Lunar New Year, NAIDOC Week

6. Communication When Apart

Children benefit from regular contact with the away parent:

• Phone or video calls: how often (daily, every second day), what time, maximum duration
• Who initiates the call
• Messaging: is the child old enough for their own phone, or does contact go through the resident parent?
• Agreement that neither parent will monitor, record, or interrupt the child's communication with the other parent

7. Major Long-Term Decisions

Under Australian family law, "major long-term issues" are defined as decisions about:

• Education — which school, tutoring, special programs
• Health — medical treatment, dental, mental health, vaccinations
• Religion — religious education, ceremonies, observances
• Name changes — any change to the child's legal name
• Relocation — moving more than a specified distance (common threshold: 50km or to a different state/country)

For each category, state whether decisions are made jointly (both parents must agree) or by one parent with an obligation to inform the other. Since the 2024 reforms, the court no longer presumes joint decision-making — so your plan should explicitly allocate responsibility rather than leaving it assumed.

8. Dispute Resolution Clause

What happens when you disagree about something the plan doesn't cover? Include a graduated process:

1. Direct discussion between parents (in writing, not in front of children)
2. Mediation through a nominated Family Dispute Resolution provider
3. Court application as a last resort

This prevents every minor disagreement from escalating immediately.

9. Review Mechanism

Children's needs change. Include:

• A scheduled review date (annually, or when the youngest child starts school/high school)
• Agreement that either parent can request a review by giving written notice
• The process for varying the plan (mutual written agreement, signed and dated)

10. Practical Extras

Depending on your situation:

• Introducing new partners — notice period before a new partner meets the children or stays overnight
• Overnight guests — any restrictions on third parties present during parenting time
• Extracurricular activities — who pays, who transports, how new activities are agreed upon
• Passport and travel — who holds passports, notice required for interstate or international travel
• Medical emergencies — obligation to notify the other parent immediately, regardless of schedule

Making It Binding

A parenting plan is not enforceable by itself. If you want legal enforceability, you'll need to convert it into a consent order through the Family Court of Western Australia (Form 11 application, A$215 filing fee). Many parents use the plan as a trial run for 3-6 months before formalising.

The Western Australia Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes printable worksheets for each section above, pre-written clause templates that satisfy court requirements, and a step-by-step walkthrough for converting your plan to consent orders via the WA eCourts Portal.

See more Western Australia guides →