Parenting plan

Are any children involved? Then you are not only a spouse but also a parent. A divorce has a major impact on children, and children often know and understand more than their parents realise.

Since 2009, parents who intend to divorce are required by law to draw up and sign a parenting plan. The aim is to oblige parents to actively empathise with the situation of their children following their divorce. The legislator also intended to encourage parents to make arrangements with regard to the consequences of their separation for their children in order to prevent unnecessary conflicts and to ensure an equal division of the care for the children.

When the time comes to starting thinking about your parenting duties after the divorce, we will be glad to clarify the position of your children. Not only because this is dictated by law, but also we think this is important. That makes us an excellent partner for drawing up a parenting plan.

The contents of a parenting plan

What does such a parenting plan look like? In essence, it is a framework of basic arrangements concerning, for instance, where the children will live, what the access rights are for the parent with whom the children are not living, how and how frequently parents should inform and consult each other about the children, and finally how the parents should contribute towards the care and education of the children.

Parents are at liberty to include other agreements in the parenting plan as well, such as a removal allowance scheme or the contact of the children with a new partner. Whatever must and can be agreed depends on the age of your children and your specific situation.

It is important that you should inform your children and involve them in drawing up the parenting plan in a way which takes account of their age, as children are a major party to the divorce. The law provides that the parenting plan should testify that you have done so.

Professional advice

Drawing up a parenting plan is and remains the responsibility of both parents. We can assist you in this process, inform you about the legal criteria and determine together with you how to work out these arrangements. Our service thus involves much more than simply providing a model parenting plan.