Example Parenting Agreement

TIME SHARING GUIDELINES

FOR

SHARED PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Each parent has been given shared parental responsibility. This means: 

1. JOINT DECISION-MAKING: Both parents shall confer so that major decisions affecting the welfare of the child shall be determined jointly. Said decisions include, but are not limited to issues regarding: education, medical/dental, discipline, religion and the general upbringing of the child. (“Child” as used herein refers to any and all minor children of the parties.)

2. RESPECT AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF PARENTAL RELATIONSHIP: Each parent shall exercise, in the utmost of good faith, his or her best efforts at all times to encourage and foster the maximum relations, love and affection between the minor child and the other parent. Neither parent shall impede, obstruct or interfere with the exercise by the other parent of his or her right to a parent-child relationship with the minor child. Neither parent will encourage or teach the child to use parental names (such as “Mother, Mommy, Mom” or “Father, Daddy, Dad” ) to refer to new partners.

3. EQUAL ACCESS TO CHILD’S RECORDS: Each parent shall have access to complete records and information pertaining to the minor child including but not limited to: medical, dental, therapy, school, day care and extracurricular activity records. Each parent is encouraged to share this information when it is not readily available to the other parent.

4. NO DISPARAGEMENT OF OTHER PARENT: Neither parent shall make any disparaging remarks about the other parent or quiz the child as to the other parent’s private life. It is the child’s right to be spared from experiencing and witnessing any animosity or ill-feeling between the parents. The minor child should be encouraged to maintain love, respect and affection for both parents.

 5. COURTESY BETWEEN PARENTS: The relationship between the parents shall be as businesslike as possible: courteous, relatively formal, low-key and public. Each parent shall be courteous and respectful to the other parent at all times, regardless of whether or not they feel that the other parent deserves to be treated with respect.

6. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILD: The non-residential parent has a duty to communicate directly with the child concerning his/her relationship with the child to the extent warranted by the child’s age and maturity level. The non-residential parent cannot expect the primary residential parent to continually act as a “buffer” or “go between.” For example, should the non-residential parent be unable to exercise visitation, the nonresidential parent should explain this directly to the child. However, this does not excuse the non-residential parent from also communicating to the residential parent changes in visitation plans, and should not interpret this paragraph in any way to use the child as a “messenger”.

7. RIGHT TO PARTICIPATION IN CHILD’S ACTIVITIES: Both parents are entitled to participate in and attend special activities in which the child is engaged, such as religious activities, school programs, sports events and other extracurricular activities and important social events in which the child is involved. Each parent should keep the other parent notified of these events and provide the other parent with a written schedule, if available. If there is no written schedule, each parent shall notify the other as soon as possible of the dates and times of any scheduled event.

8. CHILD’S LAST NAME: The child shall not be referred to by any last name other than the one listed on his or her birth certificate.

9. PARENTS TO DISCUSS CHANGES IN CHILD’S LIFE: Each parent has a duty to discuss with the other parent the advantages and disadvantages of all major decisions regarding the child and to work together in an effort to reach joint decisions. For example, this duty would include an obligation to discuss a decision to change the child’s school, church or any medical providers.

10. PARENTS’ RIGHT TO CARE FOR CHILD: Each parent has the responsibility to offer to the other parent the opportunity to care for the child, whenever reasonably possible, on those occasions when that parent is away for more than three hours due to work or social obligations. That is, each parent shall have a right, superior to that of all third parties, to care for the child in the other parent’s absence.

11. NOTICE OF WHEREABOUTS OF CHILD; NOTICE OF EMERGENCY: Neither parent shall conceal the whereabouts of the child, and each parent will keep the other reasonably advised at all times of the residential address and phone numbers where the child will be staying while with the other parent. Each parent shall notify the other parent immediately (as soon as possible but in no event more than three

[3] hours) after the occurrence of any emergency pertaining to the child.

 12. CHILD’S RIGHT TO LIBERAL TlME WITH EACH PARENT: Liberal time sharing arrangements are encouraged, as contact with both parents is important to the child. If there are specific items in a Court order contrary to these terms, the language of the Order shall take precedence over these guidelines and/or schedule.

13. PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION: Each party shall provide to the other party his or her residence address and residence and work telephone numbers. Each party shall notify the other, in writing, of any and all changes in such address and/or telephone numbers. Said notification shall be done within five (5) days of any such change and shall include the complete new address and/or telephone number(s). Additionally, each parent shall inform the other parent the names and ages of all other persons who reside in their residence.

STANDARD TIME SHARING SCHEDULE

  1. GENERAL: “Child” as used herein refers to any and all minor children of the parties.

  2. WEEKENDS: The nonresidential parent shall be entitled to alternate weekend time sharing commencing on the first Friday after the date of this Order. Said visitation shall commence on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and continue through Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Once the child is picked up, it is the non-residential parent’s responsibility to house and care for the child during this time period unless the primary residential parent agrees that the child should be returned early.

  3. WEEKDAYS: The non-residential parent shall have every Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

  4. HOLIDAYS/SCHOOL BREAKS: During odd-numbered years, the non-residential parent shall have the Spring Break, July 4th and Thanksgiving holidays, as well as the second half of Christmas vacation; the primary residential parent shall have the first half of Christmas vacation and the Memorial and Labor Day holidays. During even-numbered years this schedule is reversed.

    1. THANKSGIVING: This begins at 6:00 p.m. the Wednesday before and Thanksgiving and ends the following Sunday at 6:00 p.m.

    2. CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY: The first half of the Christmas holiday shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on the day that school lets out and shall end at 2:00 p.m. on December 25th. The second half of the Christmas holiday shall begin at 2:00 p.m. on December 25th and end at 6:00 pm. on the Sunday before school resumes.

    3. SPRING BREAK: Spring break shall begin at 6:00 p.m. on the day school gets out for spring vacation and ends at 6:00 p.m. on the Sunday before school resumes. In the event the child is not in school, the schedule shall follow the school schedule in the district where the primary residential parent resides.

    4. MEMORIAL DAY, JULY 4th, LABOR DAY: The parent who has the Memorial and Labor Day holidays shall be entitled to the entire weekend from 6:00 p.m. on Friday until 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The 4th of July visitation shall be from 9:00 a.m. on July 4th to 9:00 a.m. on July 5th.

    5. MOTHER’S DAY / FATHER’S DAY: These days shall be spent with the appropriate parent from 6:00 p.m. on Saturday until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday if that parent’s regular weekend time sharing does not include Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

    6. BIRTHDAYS: ln odd-numbered years the child and siblings, if any, shall celebrate his/her birthday at the home of the non-residential parent. In even numbered years the child and siblings, if any, shall celebrate his/her birthday in the home of the primary residential parent. The parent who is not with the child on his birthday shall be permitted to celebrate the child’s birthday the night before from the time school is out and return the child at 8:00 p.m. If school is not in session, the time shall be from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m.

    7. SCHOOL SUMMER BREAK: The summer break shall be equally divided between the parents; this period of equal division shall begin at 6:00 p.m. seven (7) days after school is out and shall end at 6:00 p.m. seven (7) days prior to school starting in August. In the event the child is not enrolled in school, the summer school break shall be defined as the summer vacation period for the school in the district where the child primarily resides. The non-residential parent shall have the first half of this period during odd-numbered years and the last half during even-numbered years. The primary residential parent shall have the same weekend and weekday time sharing and communication rights during this summer time sharing as the non-residential parent has during the rest of the year, subject to the vacation time as set forth below in Section D(8). Remedial school during the summer shall be accomplished notwithstanding time sharing with the non-residential parent. The parent that has the child shall ensure that the child attends school.

    8. SUMMER VACATION: Each parent shall be entitled to a two week period (or two one-week periods) of uninterrupted time with the child during his or her half of the summer. This time can be used to vacation with the child out of town, or for uninterrupted time with the child in his or her home. The parent exercising this time shall give the other parent a minimum of two weeks‘ notice.

  5. ITINERARY AND ‘OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACT: If, when the child is with either parent, that parent intends to spend any overnights at some place other than his/her home, that parent shall provide the other with address(es) and telephone number(s) of where the child will be staying each night. When either parent travels out of the area with the child, that parent shall provide the other with a reasonable itinerary for the child, including addresses and telephone numbers where the child will be staying, flight numbers, dates and times, etc. The parent with the child shall have the child telephone the other parent two (2) times per week at an agreed time, unless the child is under five (5) years of age in which case the calls shall take place daily.

  6. CANCELLATIONS:

    1. BY NON-RESIDENTIAL PARENT: Forty-eight (48) hours notice shall be given by the non-residential parent to the residential parent if scheduled visitation will not be exercised. Otherwise, the non-residential parent is expected to pick up their child at the appointed time. Any visitation canceled by the non-residential parent shall be forfeited unless the non-visitation is caused by illness, extended work hours, or a physical impossibility to pick up the child.

    2. BY RESIDENTIAL PARENT: In the event that the child is ill and unable to safely leave the home, the residential parent shall give the non-residential parent twenty-four (24) hours notice, if possible, in order that appropriate alternate plans can be made. The non-residential parent shall have a right to a “make-up” period of time.

  7. MAKE-UP TIME: If visitation missed on an “alternate weekend” should be made up, then it shall take place on the following weekend after the visitation was missed. The regular visitation shall then resume the following weekend. Summer, spring break and Christmas make-up days shall be added to the visitation schedule the following summer, spring break or Christmas or made up within two months, at the option of the party who missed the time with the child.

  8. SCHEDULED EVENTS: In the event that the child has a softball game, ballet, scout meeting, or other extracurricular activity, then the parent with the child is required to ensure the child’s attendance. Every effort shall be made to ensure the children do not miss such activities. This will include requesting the other parent to provide transportation if the parent who has the child in his/her care is unable to provide or arrange for someone else to provide transportation to such activities.

  9. MEDICATION: If medication has been prescribed for the child, then that medicine shall accompany the child and shall be given as prescribed. All medication sent with the child shall be returned with the child. The doctor’s name and phone number shall be provided. The other parent shall be notified as soon as practical in the event of illness or accident happening to a child while in the care of one parent.

  10. TRANSPORTATION: The child shall be transported to and from visitation by the non residential parent, that parent’s spouse or by a third party agreed to by both parents. The child shall be properly transported in an age appropriate child restraint seat or seat belt if the child is not required to be in a child safety seat.

  11. COMMUNICATIONS: The child shall be entitled to telephonic communication with the residential parent once each day during any period of visitation. Said communication may be initiated either by the child or the residential parent and shall be exercised at such times as will be least disruptive to the child’s normal routine. Conversely, the non-residential parent shall be entitled to the same telephonic communication with the child when he/she is not exercising visitation. Each parent shall keep the other advised of the child’s current address and telephone number.

  12. ADEQUATE AND CLEAN CLOTHING FOR THE VISITATION: The child shall be clean and dressed in clean, weather appropriate clothing when picked up for visitation. The non-residential parent shall be responsible for the clothing requirements during his/her visitation period. At the end of visitation, the child shall be returned to the residential parent clean and neat wearing the clothing he/she was wearing when picked up or carrying the same clothing to be returned.

  13. CHILD SUPPORT: Non-payment or late payment of child support is not an acceptable reason to deviate from this schedule or to deny the paying parent’s visitation with the child. Conversely, denial of visitation will not justify non-payment or late payment of child support.

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