A parenting plan is a written agreement that outlines how separated or divorced parents will share responsibilities for raising their child. In Colorado custody cases, parenting plans need to address parenting time schedules, decision-making responsibilities, communication rules between parents, and procedures for resolving disputes. Well-structured plans reduce conflict, provide stability for children, and ensure both parents have a clear understanding of their rights and obligations. Parents can develop parenting plans together, through mediation, or with the help of family law attorneys before submitting the agreement to the court for approval.
Key Takeaways
- A parenting plan is a legally enforceable court order once approved. That legal status is what distinguishes it from an informal understanding and gives both parents a reliable framework they can depend on and enforce if needed.
- Research published by the American Psychological Association consistently shows that children adjust better to divorce when they maintain strong relationships with both parents and when parental conflict is low. A well-structured parenting plan directly supports both of those outcomes.
- The parenting time schedule, decision-making authority, holiday arrangements, communication rules, and dispute resolution procedures are the five core elements every Colorado parenting plan needs to address clearly and specifically.
- More detail consistently leads to fewer disputes. Provisions that seem overly specific when drafting the plan often turn out to be exactly what prevents a conflict from developing years later when circumstances are more complicated.
- Parents can develop a parenting plan cooperatively, through mediation, or with attorneys, without a judge imposing one. Plans that both parents helped create tend to be more workable and more consistently followed than those handed down by a court.
- Parenting plans can and should be updated as children grow and circumstances change. A plan that worked well when a child was young may need to be revised as the child’s needs, school situation, and the parents’ lives evolve.
Introduction
When parents separate or divorce, one of the most consequential decisions they will make is how they will continue raising their child. The answer to that question needs to be practical, specific, and durable enough to function across the years of the child’s upbringing, through schedule changes, school transitions, and the inevitable evolution of both parents’ lives.
A parenting plan provides the structure that makes this possible. It creates a documented, enforceable framework that ensures children maintain meaningful relationships with both parents, reduces the likelihood of ongoing conflict over routine decisions, and gives both parents clarity about what they are responsible for.
This article covers what a parenting plan needs to include, how to approach each key component, and the practical steps for developing a plan that Colorado courts will approve and that will actually work for your family over time.
If you are preparing a parenting plan in Colorado, consulting with an experienced family law attorney can help ensure your agreement protects your parental rights and reflects your child’s genuine needs.
What Is a Parenting Plan?
A parenting plan is a legal document that outlines how parents will share responsibilities for their child after separation or divorce. In Colorado, parenting plans fall under what the court calls the allocation of parental responsibilities, a framework that addresses both where the child lives and who has authority to make significant decisions about the child’s life.
Once approved by the court, the parenting plan becomes a legally enforceable order. That is what distinguishes it from an informal understanding between parents. A court-approved parenting plan gives both parents a reliable legal document they can reference, and it creates a basis for legal remedies if one parent does not follow its terms.
A comprehensive parenting plan typically addresses:
- Parenting time schedules for regular weeks, holidays, and school breaks
- Decision-making authority for medical, educational, and legal matters
- Communication guidelines between parents
- Exchange logistics and transportation responsibilities
- Procedures for resolving disputes when they arise
The goal is a document that functions as a practical operating guide for co-parenting, not just a legal formality. The more clearly each of these elements is defined, the fewer situations arise where parents are left to negotiate in real time.
Key Elements of a Parenting Plan
Effective parenting plans are specific enough to prevent misunderstandings but structured to address the full range of situations parents will actually encounter. The table below outlines the essential elements that Colorado courts look for when reviewing parenting plan submissions.
| Parenting Plan Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Parenting time schedule | When the child stays with each parent during regular weeks |
| Decision-making authority | Who makes medical, educational, and legal decisions |
| Communication rules | How parents communicate about the child |
| Holiday and school break schedule | How special occasions and breaks are divided |
| Exchange logistics | Where and how transitions between parents happen |
| Dispute resolution | How disagreements will be addressed before returning to court |
The more clearly each element is defined, the fewer situations arise where parents are left to figure things out on their own in the moment. That is precisely when conflict tends to escalate, and when children are most likely to be caught in the middle of it.
Step-by-Step Guide to Developing a Parenting Plan
1. Determine the Parenting Time Schedule
The parenting time schedule is the foundation of any parenting plan. It determines where the child lives on specific days and how time is divided between both parents throughout the regular week, school year, and summer.
Getting this right requires thinking honestly about each parent’s actual availability, the child’s school schedule, and the practical logistics of the child’s daily life. A schedule that looks balanced on paper but doesn’t account for one parent’s irregular work schedule is going to create problems quickly.
Common custody schedule structures include:
| Schedule Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Alternating weeks | Child spends one full week with each parent, switching weekly |
| 2-2-3 rotation | Child alternates every two to three days between parents |
| Primary custody with scheduled parenting time | Child lives primarily with one parent, with regular scheduled time with the other |
| 5-2-2-5 schedule | Each parent has two consistent weekdays, with weekends alternating |
The right schedule depends on the child’s age and developmental needs, each parent’s work schedule and availability, the distance between each parent’s home, and the child’s school location and extracurricular commitments. Younger children often benefit from more frequent contact with both parents and shorter separations. Older children and teenagers may prefer longer stretches with each parent and more stability in their weekly routines.
For a detailed look at how different schedule structures work in practice and what Colorado courts tend to approve, reviewing the types of parenting plans and custody schedules used in Colorado can help you evaluate which approach makes the most sense for your family.
2. Define Decision-Making Responsibilities
Parents must determine who will make important decisions about the child’s life. In Colorado, this is called decision-making responsibility rather than legal custody, though the concept is similar.
There are two broad approaches. Joint decision-making means both parents share authority over major decisions and must consult each other before acting. Sole or primary decision-making means one parent has final authority, often with a requirement that they consider the other parent’s input.
Key areas that the parenting plan needs to address:
- Education, including school selection, tutoring, special education services, and school transfers
- Healthcare, including medical treatment, mental health care, specialist referrals, and insurance decisions
- Extracurricular activities and the scheduling commitments that come with them
- Religious upbringing and participation in religious activities
Joint decision-making works well for parents who communicate respectfully and are able to reach agreements without significant conflict. When that is not realistic, sole decision-making with a defined consultation process can reduce conflict significantly by removing the requirement for both parents to agree before action can be taken.
3. Create a Holiday and Vacation Schedule
A holiday schedule is not optional. Holidays, birthdays, and school breaks are exactly the situations where informal understandings break down, and they are emotionally significant enough that disputes about them tend to generate significant conflict.
A well-drafted holiday schedule addresses every occasion that is likely to matter to your family, with specific language about when each parent’s holiday time begins and ends, who is responsible for transportation, and what happens when a scheduled holiday falls on a regularly scheduled day for the other parent.
Typical occasions to address in a Colorado parenting plan:
- Thanksgiving, including travel expectations if parents live at a distance
- Winter break, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s
- Spring break
- Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
- Each parent’s birthday and the child’s birthday
- Summer vacation, including how extended trips are handled and what notice is required
Alternating holidays each year is a common and workable structure. Some families prefer to split holidays in fixed ways rather than alternating, particularly for occasions that have strong cultural or family significance to one household. What matters most is that the arrangement is written clearly so there is no room for competing interpretations when the holiday arrives.
4. Establish Communication Rules
How parents communicate with each other about the child is one of the most significant factors in whether a parenting plan actually reduces conflict over time. Even a well-drafted schedule can become a source of ongoing friction if there are no clear rules about how parents interact.
Communication rules in a parenting plan typically address the method, frequency, and subject matter of parent-to-parent communication. Useful provisions include:
| Communication Rule | Purpose |
|---|---|
| All scheduling and decision communication through a co-parenting app | Creates written records and reduces emotional escalation |
| Response time expectations for non-urgent matters | Prevents disputes about being ignored or bypassed |
| Limitation of communication to child-related topics | Reduces personal conflict from bleeding into parenting discussions |
| Defined process for urgent matters | Ensures time-sensitive decisions can be made without procedural delays |
Many Colorado courts recommend or require the use of dedicated co-parenting communication platforms like OurFamilyWizard or TalkingParents. These tools document all communications between parents, provide a neutral reference if disputes arise, and can be submitted directly to the court if a compliance issue needs to be addressed. The existence of that record often moderates behavior on its own.
The parenting plan should also address how each parent communicates directly with the child during the other parent’s time. Most plans include a provision ensuring that each parent has reasonable phone or video call access to the child during the other parent’s parenting time, along with expectations about response times and reasonable availability.
5. Include Dispute Resolution Procedures
No parenting plan, regardless of how carefully it is drafted, anticipates every situation that will arise over the years it is in effect. Including a clear dispute resolution process gives parents a structured path for resolving disagreements without immediately returning to court.
Common dispute resolution mechanisms include:
- A defined waiting period and written notice requirement before either parent can escalate a dispute
- Mediation as a required first step before court filings
- Parenting coordinator involvement for ongoing or recurring disputes
- A defined decision-making authority when parents cannot agree under the joint decision-making framework
These provisions reduce the cost and emotional toll of post-decree conflict by giving parents a clear process to follow. They also send a signal to the court that both parents were approaching the agreement in good faith and with a long-term perspective.
Can Parents Develop a Parenting Plan Without Court?
Yes. Parents can create a parenting plan through mutual agreement, mediation, or a collaborative process, without the plan being imposed by a judge. However, the plan needs to be submitted to the court for approval before it becomes legally enforceable.
Mediation is particularly valuable for this reason. It gives parents a structured, supported setting to work through disagreements and reach agreements that reflect both parents’ priorities. A skilled mediator helps parents stay focused on practical outcomes and the child’s needs rather than the grievances and dynamics that often surface in unmediated discussions. The resulting agreement can then be filed with the court and approved relatively quickly.
The advantage of developing the plan through a cooperative process, rather than having a judge impose one, is that the resulting plan is more likely to actually work. Both parents had input, both parents understand the reasoning behind the specific arrangements, and both parents are more likely to follow a plan they helped create than one that was handed down by a court.
How Detailed Should a Parenting Plan Be?
More detail consistently leads to fewer disputes. Provisions that seem overly specific when you are drafting the plan often turn out to be exactly what prevents a conflict from developing years later.
Common areas where vague language creates problems:
- Pickup and drop-off times that say “afternoon” rather than a specific hour
- Holiday provisions that say “to be agreed” rather than specifying the arrangement
- Communication rules that say “reasonable” contact rather than defining what that means
- Transportation provisions that are silent on who is responsible and in what circumstances
Important details to include in the plan:
- Exact pickup and drop-off locations for regular and holiday exchanges
- Transportation responsibilities for each type of exchange
- Communication schedules and the specific platforms to be used
- Procedures for schedule changes, including required notice periods
- What happens when one parent is unable to exercise their scheduled parenting time
If you are also thinking about the financial dimensions of what comes after separation, understanding how to prepare financially for divorce in Colorado can help you approach both the parenting and financial aspects of the process with a clear plan.
Developing a parenting plan that is both practically sound and legally enforceable is one of the most important things you can do for your children during this transition. Getting the structure right from the beginning reduces conflict and protects your parental rights for years to come.
If you are working through this process in Colorado, learning more about allocation of parental responsibilities can help you understand what courts require and how custody decisions are actually made.
How Colorado Courts Evaluate Parenting Plans
When a parenting plan is submitted for court approval, judges review it through the lens of the best interests of the child standard. Understanding what that standard means in practice can help parents make better decisions when drafting their plan and avoid common mistakes that lead to rejected or returned agreements.
Colorado courts consider a range of factors when evaluating custody arrangements, including the quality of each parent’s relationship with the child, each parent’s willingness to support the child’s relationship with the other parent, the child’s adjustment to their home and school environment, and each parent’s ability to provide stability and meet the child’s physical and emotional needs.
A parenting plan that reflects genuine attention to these factors is far more likely to receive prompt court approval than one that appears to be primarily about the parents’ preferences rather than the child’s welfare. Courts are also attentive to whether the plan is specific enough to be workable. Plans with vague provisions that are likely to generate future disputes may be returned for revision before approval.
Parents who approach the drafting process with a genuine focus on what their child actually needs, rather than on maximizing their own parenting time or minimizing the other parent’s involvement, consistently produce better outcomes. That orientation also tends to make the process of reaching agreement with the other parent significantly smoother.
Parenting Plans for Young Children
Young children have specific developmental needs that parenting plans should account for. Children under three generally benefit from more frequent contact with both parents and shorter separations. Long stretches without seeing a parent can be disorienting for very young children who do not yet have a stable sense of time and continuity.
For infants and toddlers, parenting plans often include more frequent transitions and shorter overnight stays, gradually increasing to longer stretches as the child develops. This is not a permanent arrangement but a developmentally appropriate starting point that can be adjusted as the child grows.
School-age children typically can manage longer stretches with each parent, and alternating week schedules often work well once children are in school. The school schedule itself can provide helpful structure, with transitions aligned to school days to reduce the complexity of handoffs.
Teenagers present a different set of considerations. Older children often have strong preferences about their own living arrangements, and those preferences carry increasing weight in Colorado custody decisions as the child matures. A parenting plan for a teenager needs to be realistic about the child’s independence and social life, not just the parents’ schedules.
What Happens When the Parenting Plan Needs to Change
Parenting plans can be modified when circumstances change in ways that significantly affect the child. Colorado courts recognize that no parenting plan can anticipate every change that will occur over the years, and the modification process exists precisely to allow families to update their arrangements when the original plan no longer fits.
The standard for modification requires showing that a significant change in circumstances has occurred since the original plan was entered, and that the proposed modification serves the child’s best interests. Changes that courts recognize as significant include parental relocation, substantial changes in a parent’s work schedule or availability, changes in the child’s needs as they develop, and situations where the existing plan is causing harm or creating ongoing conflict.
The modification process is typically simpler when both parents agree on the changes. A stipulated modification can often be approved without a hearing. When parents disagree, the process requires a formal court proceeding and a judicial decision.
Keeping the parenting plan current as circumstances evolve is important not just for legal clarity but for the child’s stability. A plan that no longer reflects how the family actually functions creates ambiguity and potential conflict. Revisiting the plan when significant changes occur, and updating it through the proper legal process, serves everyone’s interests.
Moving Forward With a Clear Parenting Plan
A well-structured parenting plan provides stability for children and clarity for parents after separation or divorce. By addressing parenting time schedules, decision-making authority, communication rules, holiday arrangements, and dispute resolution procedures, parents can reduce conflict and create a more stable environment for their children going forward.
Working with a family law attorney can help ensure that your parenting plan is thorough, legally enforceable, and aligned with Colorado custody standards, so that what you agree to today actually holds up over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you create a parenting plan? Parents can create a parenting plan by outlining custody schedules, decision-making responsibilities, and communication guidelines, then submitting the agreement to the court for approval. Many parents work through this process with the help of an attorney or mediator.
What should be included in a parenting plan? A parenting plan should include a detailed parenting time schedule, clearly defined decision-making authority, a holiday and school break schedule, communication rules between parents, exchange logistics, and dispute resolution procedures. The more specific each provision is, the fewer disagreements are likely to arise.
Do parents need a lawyer to create a parenting plan? Parents can create parenting plans without attorneys, but many choose to consult legal counsel to ensure the agreement is comprehensive, protects their rights, and complies with Colorado requirements. An attorney can also catch drafting issues that create problems later.
Can parents develop a parenting plan without court? Parents can negotiate a parenting plan through mutual agreement, mediation, or collaborative process. However, the plan needs to be filed with and approved by the court before it becomes a legally enforceable order.
What is a typical custody schedule? Common schedules include alternating weeks, a 2-2-3 rotation, a 5-2-2-5 structure, or primary custody with one parent and scheduled parenting time for the other. The right schedule depends on the child’s age, school situation, each parent’s availability, and the family’s specific circumstances.
Can mediation help develop a parenting plan? Yes. Mediation is widely used and often highly effective for helping parents reach cooperative parenting agreements without litigation. A mediator helps both parents work through disagreements and arrive at an arrangement both can commit to, which is then filed with the court for approval.
