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The Weekly Schedule
Exact days and times with each parent, weeknights and weekends, plus the time and place for every exchange.
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Child Custody / Parenting Plans
Parenting Plans · Virginia
The plan that keeps the peace after the case ends.
A parenting plan is the rulebook for raising your child in two homes. The clearer it is, the fewer fights you have later. A vague plan is a future court date. A good one is years of calm.
First call is a conversation, not a commitment.
The Short Answer
A parenting plan is a written agreement that spells out how two parents will raise their child after a separation or divorce. It covers the regular schedule, holidays, vacations, exchanges, decision-making, and communication. In Virginia, a clear and detailed plan is your best protection against future conflict, because it answers the questions before they turn into arguments.
What It Actually Means
Every gray area is a future fight.
Most custody fights after a case is over do not happen because parents are cruel. They happen because the plan was vague. Who gets the child on a teacher workday? What time is the Sunday handoff? Who pays for the away tournament? A good parenting plan answers these before anyone has to argue about them.
The regular schedule
This is the backbone of the plan: the normal week-to-week routine. It names the days and times each parent has the child, including weeknights and weekends, and the exact time and place for exchanges. The more specific, the better. "Reasonable visitation" sounds friendly and causes endless trouble. A named schedule does not.
Holidays and school breaks
Holidays need their own rules, because they override the regular schedule. A strong plan lists the major holidays, alternates them by year, and handles spring break, winter break, and summer. It also covers birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day, the days that cause the most hurt feelings when they are left out.
Decisions and communication
The plan sets out how you share major decisions and how you talk to each other about the child. Many plans name a single method, such as a co-parenting app, and a reasonable response time. Good plans also include a tie-breaker for when you share decisions but cannot agree, so a deadlock does not send you back to court.
The details that prevent trouble
The best plans go further: how exchanges happen, who drives, how travel and passports work, how new partners are introduced, and what happens when someone needs to swap a day. None of this is exciting. All of it saves you stress later. We help you think through the situations you have not imagined yet.
Regular scheduleThe week-to-week routine, with named days, times, and exchange details.
HolidaysMajor holidays alternated by year, plus school breaks, summer, and birthdays.
DecisionsHow you share major choices, with a tie-breaker for deadlocks.
CommunicationA named method and a reasonable response time, so messages do not become fights.
LogisticsTravel, exchanges, swaps, and how new situations get handled.
Why Detail Wins
Courts favor parenting plans that are specific and child-focused. A plan that names the days, times, and tie-breakers gives a judge confidence and gives your family a routine that holds up without a return trip to court.
Source: Virginia Code § 20-124.2
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insight
A few honest things about parenting plans.
"The plan you barely notice is the one that is working. A good plan answers the question before either parent has to ask it."
Parents often want to keep the plan loose so it feels friendly. That instinct backfires. The looser the plan, the more often you have to negotiate in the moment, and every negotiation is a chance for conflict. We build plans that are specific enough to run on autopilot, so you spend your energy on your child instead of on your ex.
Questions Parents Ask
Plain answers about parenting plans.
These are the questions parents ask most about building a plan that lasts. If yours is not here, we are glad to answer it.
Have a specific question?
Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
What should a Virginia parenting plan include?
A strong parenting plan covers the regular weekly schedule, holiday and school break rotations, summer time, how major decisions are shared, a tie-breaker for disagreements, and a clear communication method.
The more specific it is, the fewer disputes you will have later. Good plans also handle travel, exchanges, swaps, and introducing new partners.
Do both parents have to agree on the plan?
Ideally, yes. A plan you both agree to is faster, cheaper, and more durable than one a judge imposes. If you cannot agree, the court will set the terms after weighing the best interests of the child. We help you reach agreement where possible and litigate where it is not.
Is a parenting plan legally binding?
Once a court adopts your parenting plan and enters it as an order, it is binding and enforceable. Both parents must follow it. If one parent does not, the other can ask the court to enforce it. A plan that is only an informal understanding, with no order behind it, is much harder to enforce.
Can a parenting plan change as my child grows?
Yes. A schedule that fits a toddler will not fit a teenager. You can update the plan by agreement at any time, or ask the court to modify it when there has been a material change in circumstances. Building in some flexibility from the start helps the plan grow with your child.
When You Are Ready
Build a plan that works on autopilot.
Tell us about your family and your week. We will help you build a parenting plan detailed enough to keep the peace and flexible enough to grow with your child. Three offices across Northern Virginia, one phone number.