A Parenting Agreement or Parenting Plan is an agreement that is drawn up between the parents and seeks to set out the arrangements for the day-to-day parenting of the children. It A parenting plan is a good option where parents agree that they will work together in the best interests of the child and are able to do so without the assistance of the court. There is no “one size fits all” agreement. thought it might cover factors such as:-
- The days and nights on which the child will be with each parent;
- Arrangements for seeing the other parent;
- Indirect contact arrangements e.g. times when the child will telephone or FaceTime the other parent;
- Who will be responsible for particular costs of a child e.g. extra-curricular lessons;
- Arrangements for the child’s education;
- Arrangements for attendance at medical or dental appointments;
- Arrangements for a child’s religious upbringing;
- How school holidays will be shared between the parents.
A parenting agreement can be tailored to the particular circumstances of the individual family and can be entirely bespoke. We are able to assist in drawing up such agreements and can guide you on the factors that such an agreement might cover.
Our Core Services
- PARENTING AGREEMENTS
- CHILD ARRANGEMENT ORDERS
- CHILD ABDUCTION
- INJUNCTIONS
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Matters involving children require specialist expertise, sensitivity, and a genuine understanding of your situation. At Payne Hicks Beach, our experienced solicitors are dedicated to protecting your children’s interests, your family, and your privacy while working towards the best possible outcome.
Why Choose Payne Hicks Beach for Family Law?
Recognised by Chambers HNW (Band 1) and Legal 500 for specialist expertise in children law, strategic advice, and the handling of high-complexity cases. Our team includes some of the most experienced children law practitioners in England and Wales. In 2024, the firm won Family Law Team of the Year at the Chambers HNW Awards, reflecting the depth and quality of our practice across all areas of family law, including private children work.
Our children law practice spans the full breadth of private children work. We advise on Child Arrangements Orders regulating where a child lives and their time with each parent; Specific Issue Orders resolving disputes about education, medical treatment, or other aspects of a child’s upbringing; and Prohibited Steps Orders preventing one parent from taking action that the other parent opposes. We are experienced in assisting a parent acquire parental responsibility and in domestic and international relocation cases acting for either the relocating parent or the parent wishing to retain the status quo. Our team is also experienced in child abduction proceedings, wardship, special guardianship, child protection, surrogacy, and adoption. We also deal with applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 (financial provision for unmarried parents), Whatever the nature of the issue, the child’s welfare remains at the centre of our advice.
We provide a bespoke service with the utmost sensitivity and discretion. Children proceedings are already held in private by default, but we go further, advising clients from the outset on how to minimise the footprint of any dispute. We are experienced in all aspects of non-court dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration, and private hearings, and we actively explore these routes before any court application is considered. For high-profile clients or those with particular reputational concerns, we can work alongside our colleagues in dispute resolution and privacy law to ensure that any associated proceedings, whether injunctions, confidentiality applications, or media management, are handled as part of a single coordinated strategy. We are committed to ensuring that your family’s privacy is protected throughout.
International children law is one of the most technically demanding areas of family practice, and our team has substantial experience. We act in both Hague and non-Hague Convention child abduction cases, leave to remove applications (where a parent seeks to relocate a child abroad), and wardship proceedings. We have an established network of trusted family lawyers in key jurisdictions and regularly assemble cross-border teams to protect our clients’ positions wherever the dispute arises.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No. A parenting plan is an agreement reached consensually between parents. If they cannot agree on arrangements for the children then it will be necessary to invite the court to adjudicate on the issues between them.
No. A parenting agreement is not legally binding. However, if it is felt necessary it is possible to ask the court to convert it into an order of the court if the court is content that making such an order is in the child’s best interests.
A Parenting Plan offers clarity and certainty for the whole family as to how arrangements will work going forward. It is a useful organisational tool and it is also helpful for children to know that their parents are able to work together and agree how life will work in two separate households. A parenting plan can also be useful evidence for a court should the arrangements break down.
We are also able to recommend additional tools, such as parenting apps, which may help arrangements run more smoothly.
