Creating Your Own Parenting Plan or Using the State-Approved Form
Courts require that parents of minor children create a parenting plan. This is your first divorce document. This plan does not address children’s expenses or money. On the contrary, it outlines common-sense rules in continuing to raise your beautiful children.
The first half of the parenting plan outlines your parental rights and responsibilities. Each parent must make day-to-day decisions for your children when you have them, such as routine discipline, minor medical treatment, curfews, chores, nutrition, and hygiene. Each of you must give the other parent the name, address, and telephone number of any health care provider for your children. Each parent needs to receive access to your children's school records, child care information, extracurricular activity schedules, and medical, dental, and mental health records. And each parent must notify the other, as soon as possible, of emergencies, health care, travel plans, or other significant child-related issues.
The parenting plan also addresses who is going to make the significant decisions surrounding your children’s education, health care, extracurricular or recreational activities, and religion. In addition, you also will identify how you're going to communicate with each other and who is going to transport the kids to and from their activities and school.
The second half of the parenting plan focuses on three parenting schedules. The first schedule is your Regular Weekday and Weekend schedule. The second is the School Break schedule, including Summer Break, Winter Break and Spring Break. And the third is the holiday schedule. How are you going to share both secular and religious holidays with your children? What are your preferences for parent birthdays and children birthdays? What if there is conflict?
The next section describes if a parent relocates, how to tell the other parent about domestic and international travel plans, and how to introduce a significant other. If there are disagreements that cannot be resolved, there is another paragraph that outlines the process for mediation.
Most States have a Parenting Plan form that outlines the above that you can fill out on your own. In Illinois, the approved form number is DV-PP 108.1 titled “Parenting Plan.” https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/a601856a-12e7-44fe-9076-88a8e150c3a7/DWC%20Parenting%20Plan.pdf
That’s it! You’re done with your first divorce document! Make sure you check with your county’s rules on taking an online or in-person parenting class. Your parenting class completion certificates should be attached to your Parenting Plan document and be given to the Judge.