How to Create a Parenting Plan

This video features Kelli Byers Hooper, a Family Law attorney based in Georgia.

Attorney Kelli Byers Hooper | 888-558-1353 | Schedule Your Consult Today

If you’re going through a divorce, it’s likely you may be required to create a parenting plan. It can be difficult to know how to go about starting one and what should be included. If you’re wondering how to create a parenting plan, attorney Kelli Byers Hooper has your answer.

Hooper is a family law attorney with KBH Law, Inc. in the Atlanta metro area. In this edition of Quick Questions, she explains what you need to do to create a parenting plan.

To learn more, contact the attorney directly by calling 888-558-1353 or by submitting a contact form on this page.

In many states, you are required to file a parenting plan with the court.

To get a final decree, many states require both parties to fill out a parenting plan to decide child custody, visitation privileges, holidays, communication protocols, and various other things regarding the children and how they will henceforth interact with each of their parents.

If you find yourself unsure of what to pursue for your child in a parenting plan, consider your child’s thoughts on the subject. It can be easy to find yourself swept away by the intense emotions a parent feels when trying to protect their child, but taking the time to talk with your child and understand their take on the situation can be very helpful when creating a parenting plan.

The parenting plan form can be downloaded free from any county website or will be provided by your attorney.

Whether you get your parenting plan form from a county website or from your attorney, the contents will be very similar. The parenting plan form will handle specific details regarding child custody, and must be approved by a judge before the case can resolve. Understandably, these forms can be challenging to fill out. Divorce cases already tend to be some of the most emotionally-charged, and when children are involved, the emotional involvement only increases. This is when it might be a good idea to bring an attorney into the process.

There are many benefits to hiring an attorney in any case involving children.

Legal matters involving family and/or children are some of the most difficult to handle on your own, primarily due to the degree of emotion involved. Between parents struggling to communicate with each other, it is sometimes easier to focus on attacking the other party rather than remembering that the goal of the entire case is to make sure the child is provided with a stable, positive relationship with both parents. This is why it’s a good idea to involve a lawyer in any matters of family law, and especially any case involving a child.

Experienced divorce/child custody attorneys are skilled in negotiation and will have a greater patience for the often complicated, inconvenient legal process. A good attorney will be able to sit down with you, listen to your concerns, and help you formulate a parenting plan to best protect your interests and your child, increasing the likelihood a judge will approve the plan and you won’t be forced back to the drawing board. An attorney will be able to negotiate between parties and bring the tension down enough to suggest a plan which could result in an equitable outcome for both parties.

To learn more, contact Kelli Byers Hooper directly by calling 888-558-1353 or by submitting a contact form on this page.

Video Transcript:

Leslie Rhode:
I’m Leslie Rhode with a Quick Question from AskTheLawyers.com. How do you create a parenting plan while going through a divorce? Georgia attorney Kelli Hooper has our answer.

Kelli Hooper:
Well, here in Georgia, if you have children, you’re required to file a parenting plan with the court in order to get a final decree. A parenting plan is a general term that just governs how custody and visitation, holidays, communication, and various things involving the children will be handled during a divorce. You can download the free form from any of the county websites that has a standard parenting plan, or if you’re working with an attorney, we usually have a document that has the same sort of details in it. They all handle the same specific details, but it needs to be filed in every case involving children.

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