DA Family Lawyers can help arrange parenting plans to suit the needs of children and parents alike. After a family break-up, most parents want to work out plans for where their children will live. For some this resolves without too much hassle – but sometimes parents just can’t agree. They may think differently about what is best for their children or they can be caught up in their angry or hurt feelings about each other, and can’t talk without arguing.

Family relationship centres

Family relationship centres have been provided by the Commonwealth Government to assist in the process of parents agreeing on parenting arrangements for their children. These centres facilitate discussions and negotiations directly between parents without the involvement of lawyers.

What are parenting plans?

A parenting plan is a written agreement between parents that sets out what parenting arrangements will apply in the future for your children. It is not enforceable in a Court, but if Court proceedings are instituted in the future, the Court is bound to consider the terms of any parenting plan, in determining what parenting arrangements are in the best interests of your children.

It is important to know that a parenting plan does not cover spousal maintenance or property settlement.

When should parenting plans be used?

When parents are able to communicate and have an amicable post-separation relationship, there should be no need to have formal court orders in relation to parenting arrangements and a parenting plan should be sufficient. However a lot of parents prefer the certainty of having formal consent court orders, which can be enforced by a court, as circumstances can change in the future, especially if one or both parents re-partner and what was once an amicable relationship can become strained.

How do the courts decide on a parenting plan?