The decisions you make about who takes care of your child can be some of the most stressful. Parenting plans allow parents to decide how they want their children to fare while they are away at work or on vacation.
What are parenting plans under Utah family law?
Courts recognize a parenting plan as an agreement between parents about how their children will be raised. Family courts recognize the following parenting plans: joint physical custody, joint legal custody, and sole physical custody.
Types of family law parenting plans
The two most common types are joint legal custody and sole legal custody. The significance of joint legal custody is that both parents have equal rights. However, each parent is responsible for making decisions regarding the care and upbringing of the child.
Sole legal custody is when one parent has full authority over the child and makes all decisions about the child’s care. Other parenting plans include joint parental responsibility, where both parents share some level of decision-making authority, and custody arrangements, which refer to specific agreements about who will have physical custody of the child.
The role of the court in parenting plans
Family parenting plans are important legal tools that parents can use to create a parenting plan that works best for their children. Parenting plans help parents balance the needs of their children with their own needs and preferences. Parenting plans also help parents communicate with each other about their parenting goals.
Parents can create a parenting plan by contacting a lawyer or using a parenting plan template. A good way to create a parenting plan is to think about what you and your spouse want from co-parenting.
For example, you may want different things for your child’s daily care, education, religion, and activities. You can then work together to create a parenting plan that meets both your needs and your child’s needs. Parenting plans can be complicated, but they are important to child custody law. Please do not hesitate to speak with a lawyer if you have any questions or concerns about creating or using a parenting plan.