does this sound like a good visitation schedule?

[beth_parr]

What is the name of your state?MI

I think i may be over doing this. Opions please. Just trying to be specific and avoid problems. Did I leave anything out?

Alternate weekends: Friday at 5:00pm till Sunday at 7:00pm

Alternate Holidays: 9:00am till 9:00pm. Holidays are: New Year’s day, Easter, Memorial day, M.L. King Day, 4th of July, Labor day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, Halloween, Child’s birthday.

Parent’s day: Child with mom on mother’s day/ Child with dad on Father’s day. From 9:00am to 9:00pm

Christmas and spring break: Split 50/50. Mom has first half, dad has second half. With the exception of the alternate Holiday visits.

Summer: 4 consecutive weeks starting the 2nd Friday after the last day of school. With one weekend visit with CP in-between. With the exception of the alternate Holiday visits.

Phone calls: liberal calls from the child to other parent, within reason.

Transportation: shared equally by meeting at a halfway point, (Pontiac police department). Phone call to other parent if going to be more than 15 min’s late.

Clothing: to be provided clean by the CP and returned clean by the NCP.

Other belongings: To be returned with the child at the end of the visit.

School: CP to keep NCP informed of current school and teacher's name, progress reports, report cards, parent teacher conferences, awards, problems, school concerts and school activities that child is involved in.

Health: CP to keep NCP informed of current doctor, sicknesses, health concerns, insurance coverage, and medications. CP to provide NCP with copy of child’s current insurance card. CP to provide NCP with any prescription medications, being administered along with a list of any OTC medications being taken as well as the time they were last taken. All medication must be in original containers.

Daycare and babysitters: That the NCP and CP both have first right of refusal.

Phone numbers and addresses: Both parents will keep each other informed of current address and phone number.

Resolving Disputes: If the parents have a disagreement and are finding it hard to resolve in a civil way they will communicate thru first class mail in an attempt to resolve the matter, before bringing the dispute to the court.

Good relations: Each parent will make an effort to facilitate a healthy, strong, and positive relationship between the child and the other parent. Neither parent shall speak negatively towards or about the other parent in the presence of the child, and will temporarily remove the child from any environment where other people are talking negatively about the other parent until the discussion ends. Neither parent will use the child to relay messages to the other parent or question the child in an effort to find things out about the other parent.

 

[LdiJ]

You need to be more specific about the right of first refusal, or its likely to bite you in the butt. Something that general could even preclude extended family spending time with the child(ren) or a neighbor watching the child(ren) for 1/2 an hour while you run to the store.

A good right of first refusal order usually defines exactly who a babysitter or daycare provider is....and how long a period of time the "sitting" needs to be before right of first refusal kicks in.

 

[beth_parr]

Thank you i didn't know that.

 

[beth_parr]

Daycare and babysitters: If either parent needs to use the services of a non relative daycare or babysitter for more than 4 hours or if the child will be watched by a relative for more than 8 hours the NCP and CP both have first right of refusal.


does that fix it? it seems like i worded it funny but maybe i am just tired.

 

[LdiJ]

Daycare and babysitters: If either parent needs to use the services of a non relative daycare or babysitter for more than 4 hours or if the child will be watched by a relative for more than 8 hours the NCP and CP both have first right of refusal.


does that fix it? it seems like i worded it funny but maybe i am just tired.

That's not bad at all....although you might want to add something to the effect that overnight visitation with grandparents, or slumber parties don't count as babysitting. Unless you want either your hubby's parents or the child having a hissy fit somewhere down the road...LOL.

 

[beth_parr]

yea I wouldn't want that. Mad granny's can be an evil thing LOL! thanks for the advice.

 

[beth_parr]

Now I have revised the entire thing. I think I got it all down this time. Of course I still have to check my grammer, puncuation and spelling. But other than that is this good. Do you think the part about good relations, health, school and resolving disputes is over board? Or is anything else overboard? Also we have to start out with supervised because we don't know the child at all. He is 5yrs old do you think 24 weekly visits is an ok time period to help him adjust, and is asking for the 12 unsupervised visits ok?

I tried to make everything fair I think i did a good job am I missing anything?

thanks for any input,
beth

Supervised parenting time: 24 weekly supervised visits taking place at Livingston family center in Pinckney. Each Sunday from 1:00pm till 4:00pm. After completing 12 supervised visits I would like the court to grant 12 unsupervised visits at my home each Saturday from 2:00pm till 8:00pm.

After completion of the above parenting plan I would like to move to a regular unsupervised parenting time schedule.

The following is what I would like the court to grant after the supervised visits are over. With the exception of transportation , health, phone calls, resolving disputes, contact information, and good relations; I would like these to take affect upon the date the court grants the supervised parenting plan.


Alternate weekends: Friday at 5:00pm till Sunday at 7:00pm

Alternate Holidays: 9:00am till 9:00pm. Holidays are: New Year’s day, Easter, Memorial day, M.L. King Day, 4th of July, Labor day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, Halloween, Child’s birthday.

Parent’s day: Child with mom on mother’s day/ Child with dad on Father’s day. From 9:00am to 9:00pm

Christmas and spring break: Split 50/50. Mom has first half, dad has second half. With the exception of the alternate Holiday visits.

Summer break: 4 consecutive weeks starting the 2nd Friday after the last day of school. With one weekend visit with CP in-between. With the exception of the alternate Holiday visits.

Phone calls: liberal calls from the child to other parent, within reason.

Transportation: shared equally by meeting at a halfway point, (Pontiac police department). Either parent may designate a responsible licensed driver to transport the child in case the parent with the child can not drive or can not meet at the scheduled time due to work or other obligation. A Phone call if going to be more than 15 min’s late will be made by the parent or whom ever is transporting the child. During the supervised parenting schedule, The CP or a responsible licensed driver designated by the CP will provide all transportation of child for supervised visits.

Clothing: is to be adequate and provided clean by the CP and returned clean by the NCP. The CP is not responsible for providing dress clothes in the case that they NCP is taking the child to a event were dress clothes are considered proper attire.

Other belongings: Are to be returned with the child at the end of the visit.

School: The CP is to keep NCP informed of progress reports, report cards, parent teacher conferences, awards, behavioral problems, disciplinary actions. school concerts and school activities that child is involved in. The CP will give NCP 72 hours notice of parent teacher conferences, school concert’s, or any other school activities the child is involved in. The CP will also give the NCP 72 hours notice of any extracurricular activities the child is involved in.

Health: CP to keep NCP informed of current doctor, doctor’s reports, sicknesses, health concerns, insurance coverage, and medications. CP to provide NCP with copy of child’s current insurance card. CP to provide NCP with any prescription medications, being administered along with a list of any OTC medications being taken as well as the time they were last taken. All medication must be in original containers. NCP will also give CP list of medications administered along with time given. CP will have child evaluated by a child psychologist and follow up with the recommendation given by the psychologist. Both parents will inform the other parent of any medical emergency immediately.

Daycare and babysitters: If either parent needs to use the services of a non relative daycare or babysitter for more than 4 hours or if the child will be watched by a relative for more than 8 hours the NCP and CP both have first right of refusal. Slumber parties or overnight visitation with either set of grandparents will not be considered babysitting.

Contact Information: Both parents will keep each other informed of current address, phone number, and e-mail address. Sending E-mails will only be for emergency use or as a way to resolve disputes.

Resolving Disputes: If the parents have a disagreement and are finding it hard to resolve in a civil way they will communicate thru first class mail or e-mail in an attempt to resolve the matter, before bringing the dispute to the court.

Good relations: Each parent will make an effort to facilitate a healthy, strong, and positive relationship between the child and the other parent. Neither parent shall speak negatively towards or about the other parent in the presence of the child, and will temporarily remove the child from any environment where other people are talking negatively about the other parent until the discussion ends. Neither parent will use the child to relay messages to the other parent or interrogate the child in an effort to find things out about the other parent.

 

[Whyte Noise]

Transportation: Both parents may designate a competant adult to pick up the children in their stead for their parenting time if the parent is unable to meet at the dropoff/pickup point.

Christmas break and Spring break: I'd clarify what "first half and second half" entail. For example:

From 6 PM on the day school lets out for Christmas/Spring Break until 6 PM on (whatever date would be a feasable "halfway" date based on your school calendar. It may not be the exact same date every year as far as the starting dates go, but most schools let out from around the 16th, 17th of December until at least January 2nd or 3rd. "Half" would be from the 16th - 25th if they go back on the 3rd... see what I'm saying?)

Alternate weekends: I'd list that as NCP gets 2nd and 4th weekends or 1st, 3rd and 5th weekends. Designate that the weekend begins on Friday (which it does) so that if the last day of the month is on a Friday and that Saturday is the 1st day of a new month, it's listed as being the 5th weekend of the month. Will save on arguments down the road.

Alternate Holidays: I'd list that as who gets ODD years and who gets EVEN years instead of just "alternating Holidays". My husband has that "alternating Holiday" wording in his order... and it's not easy to enforce. Who's to say he didn't have the holiday he was supposed to? it's he said/she said in that case.

Liberal phone calls: Who's idea of "within reason" will you use? I'd say 2 or 3 times a week (whichever you choose) before a certain time.

Health and School: CP should sign any and all papers necessary for the NCP to be able to get child's records and be able to talk with doctors/teachers. Same for the school. The CP shouldn't have to be the one responsible to do all that, the NCP can make some effort too. As an NCP I had trouble getting my own children's mdical records because they told me they had to ask the CP's "permission". As a CP, I let all doctors and the school know my daughter's father has the right to any and all records.

Yes, I'm anal about a lot of things. LOL My own parenting plan is 14 pages long, but just about any scenario that could crop up is in there so that thre is no petty disputes. We've had no problems thus far. I've seen far to many vague orders and parenting plans and I'd rather be prepared and not need a stipulation than not have it and it become a problem down the road.

Edit: Strike my transportation part... you included that while I was typing.

 

[beth_parr]

14 pages long. Geeze I thought I was being anal. LOL.
If you don't mind what types of things do you have in your order that you often see or hear other people bickering over.

 

[trustknow1]

I agree that the Holiday Schedule needs to be spelled out. The 9am-9pm does not fit for all listed. (try it with New Years Eve, New Years Day).

Here is some wording to consider:

Additionally, the parties shall alternate holidays with the child, the Petitioner to have, generally, in odd-numbered years: Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, Christmas Eve Day and Evening until 9m, and New Year's Eve Day and Evening until 10:00 am New Year's Day, yackety yak yak....

And in even numbered years: New Year's Day, from 10:00am, the Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend, and Christmas Day, from 9:00pm Christmas Eve, yackety yak yak.....

Respondent shall have the opposite schedule. yakety yak yak



The more you spell it out, the less debate and conflict you will face.

 

[betterthanher]

The longer the Parenting Plan, the better. Mine was almost 30 pages because I had to spell every little thing out because my ex is a moron, to sum it all up.

Also, keep vague language out like "liberal" -- that will just spell trouble down the road when there's conflict. In addition, you must remember that these plans have to reflect long-term, NOT what sounds good at the moment. You (or him) don't want to keep going to court (and paying for it) because you need to amend something. I would highly recommend checking out www.deltabravo.net for some examples of language to include in parenting plans.

 

[LdiJ]

I disagree with putting dates in on Christmas Break and Spring Break, because they change every year.

For Christmas Break I would define the first half as the day school gets out to the 7th day of the break at XXX PM...and the second half as the 7th day at XXX PM until the XXX PM on the night before school resumes.

Same thing with Spring Break, unless you alternate them.

 

[Whyte Noise]

And not all Christmas breaks are 14 days exactly so the 7 days/7 days could become a problem too.. My daughter gets out today at 11 AM. She doesn't go back until January 4th. That's 19 days. My son and daughter in Georgia get out today and go back January 3rd. That's 18 days. So going with the "the day school gets out to the 7th day of the break at XXX PM...and the second half as the 7th day at XXX PM until the XXX PM on the night before school resumes." one parent would get 7 days, the other would get 11 or 12. That's not half either.

That's why I suggested from the day school gets out until the "halfway" point in their break at the first half... that day until the day before school resumes as the second half. It may not be an exact science, but you can look at the school calendar and get a rough estimate of what length the holiday break will be. Most districts follow closely from one year to the next in the number of days. One person may get 1 day extra or so each year but it would be basically even.

Personally, my ex and I swap even/odd years for the Christmas Break. I get all 3 kids from 6 PM the day school recesses until 6 PM the day before school resumes in odd years, he gets the same in even years.

 

[Whyte Noise]

Ohh... another thing...

Put in who claims the child as a tax exemption if the father and mother will be splitting it. Even if they aren't, put in who claims the child each and every year.

 

[Whyte Noise]

Bah... here's my parenting plan. It's cut into 3 posts because it's too long for one...

STIPULATED PARENTING PLAN PROPOSED BY PARTIES

A. Custody and Parenting Time

1. There are three (3) children born of the marriage, namely K E N M, born 09/03/1992, social security number XXXXXXXXX; T K M, born 10/15/1993, social security number XXXXXXXXX; and B A M, born 10/05/1994, social security number XXXXXXXXX.
2. The parties shall have joint legal custody of the minor children and physical placement of the children shall be as follows:
a.) Petitioner shall have pri**** physical placement of the minor children T M and B M.
b.) Respondent shall have pri**** physical placement of the minor child K M.
3. Neither party shall move the principal residence of the children without giving 60 days written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested to any party with custody or visitation rights. (Section 452.377 RSMo)
4. Children, whenever possible and appropriate, need to have frequent, continuing, and meaningful contact with both parents.
a.) The children shall spend time with the Father and Mother on the following days and times.

Weekends-Regular: In any month in which Father does not otherwise have Holiday or extended weekend parenting time, one weekend of the month, of Father’s choice, from 6:00 pm on Friday until 6:00 pm on Sunday. Not to interfere with Holidays and specific days otherwise listed within this parenting plan. In any month in which Mother does not otherwise have Holiday or extended weekend parenting time, one weekend of the month, of Mother’s choice, from 6:00 pm on Friday until 6:00 pm on Sunday. Not to interfere with Holidays and specific days otherwise listed within this parenting plan.

5. Exchanges:

Regular visitation exchanges as well as Holiday and summer visitation exchanges shall occur in Nashville, Tennessee, which is the halfway point between the Mother’s and Father’s residences. The parties shall agree on an exact location in Nashville where they will meet to facilitate the exchange no less than one (1) week prior to each exchange taking place. Each parent shall have the right to designate their spouse or immediate family members to provide transportation for the children, and, in the absence of the Parent, supervise the child and make minor day-to-day decisions regarding the care and discipline of the children. Mother and Father shall pay their own transportation costs including but not limited to: gas, lodging, and food. Neither parent is required to reimburse the other parent for expenses incurred, unless one parent does not show up for the exchange, thereby putting an unnecessary financial burden on the parent who complied with the provisions herein. If such occasion arises, then the parent that was unduly burdened may file to receive reimbursement of their monies expended.

6. Holiday Schedule:

Summer Visitation: In even numbered years, Father shall have parenting time with all three of the parties minor children from one week after school recesses for the summer break until one week before school resumes classes in the fall. In odd numbered years, Mother shall have parenting time with all three of the parties minor children from one week after school recesses for the summer break until one week before school resumes classes in the fall. For the purpose of defining which weeks parenting time commences and ends, the parties agree to use the school schedule of the child(ren) that recesses latest in the spring and commences earliest in the fall.

Christmas Vacation: In even numbered years, the Father shall have parenting time with all three of the parties minor children from 6:00 pm on the day school recesses until 6:00 pm the day before school resumes classes. In odd numbered years, the mother shall have parenting time with all three of the parties minor children from 6:00 pm on the day school recesses until 6:00 pm the day before school resumes classes.

Thanksgiving Vacation: In even numbered years, the Father shall have parenting time from 6:00 pm the day after school dismisses, until 12:00 noon on the day prior to school resuming. In odd numbered years, the Mother shall have parenting time from 6:00 pm on the day after school dismisses, until 12:00 noon on the day prior to school resuming.

Memorial Day: Father shall have children on each Memorial Day if it falls within his summer parenting time schedule. Mother shall have children each Memorial Day if it does not fall within the Father’s summer parenting time schedule.

Labor Day: In even numbered years, Father shall have the children for Labor Day from 6:00 pm on the Friday before Labor Day until 6:00 pm on Labor Day. In odd numbered years, Mother shall have the children for Labor Day from 6:00 pm on the Friday before Labor Day until 6:00 pm on Labor Day.

July 4th: In even numbered years, Father shall have July 4th as part of his summer parenting time. In odd numbered years, Mother shall have July 4th as part of her summer parenting time.

Father’s Day: Father shall have the children on Father’s Day each and every year from 6:00 pm on the Friday before Father’s Day until 6:00 pm on Father’s Day.

Mother’s Day: Mother shall have the children each and every Mother’s Day from 6:00 pm on the Friday before Mother’s Day until 6:00 pm on Mother’s Day.

Children’s Birthdays: In even numbered years, Father shall have the children for their birthdays on either the weekend of their birthday (if it falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) or the weekend before their birthday if it falls on Monday through Thursday. In odd numbered years, Mother shall have the children for their birthdays on either the weekend of their birthday (if it falls on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) or the weekend before their birthday if it falls on Monday through Thursday.


Other:

A.) Any time the Father travels to the Mother’s area of residence he may request additional parenting time with the children. The request must be
made within 48 hours of the expected arrival in Mother’s area so that
arrangements can be made, if necessary, to accommodate this parenting
time. Any time the Mother Travels to the father’s area of residence she may request additional parenting time with the children. The request must be made within 48 hours of the expected arrival in the Father’s area so that arrangements can be made, if necessary, to accommodate this parenting time.
B.) In the event of death in the immediate family of either the Mother or the Father, additional parenting time shall be allowed so that children may attend the funeral of the deceased.