Legal disclaimer: This article provides general information only and is not legal advice. Laws vary by state. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.
Co-Parenting Agreement Checklist: What to Include Before You Sign
A co-parenting agreement (sometimes called a parenting plan) is meant to prevent future disputes by spelling out the specifics in advance — but it only works if it’s specific enough to actually answer the questions that come up later. Vague language that feels reasonable now often becomes a source of conflict down the road. Use this checklist to review what should be addressed before you sign anything.
Custody and Time-Sharing
- [ ] Legal custody arrangement (joint or sole) clearly stated
- [ ] Physical custody schedule, including a specific weekly or bi-weekly pattern, not just a general description
- [ ] Holiday schedule, specifying which holidays, in what years, and how alternating works
- [ ] Summer/school break schedule, including how it differs from the regular schedule
- [ ] Transportation responsibilities — who drives, where exchanges happen, what time
- [ ] What happens if a scheduled exchange needs to change (notice period, backup plan)
Decision-Making
- [ ] Process for making major decisions (education, healthcare, religious upbringing) under joint legal custody
- [ ] What happens if parents disagree on a major decision — mediation requirement, tie-breaking process, or other resolution method
- [ ] Which school district the child will attend, and what happens if either parent considers moving
- [ ] Process for choosing or changing healthcare providers
- [ ] Extracurricular activity decisions — who decides, who pays, scheduling conflicts with parenting time
Communication
- [ ] Preferred communication method between parents (app, text, email) and expected response time
- [ ] How information about the child (school updates, medical appointments, etc.) will be shared between households
- [ ] Whether and how each parent can contact the child during the other parent’s time
- [ ] A plan for managing communication during conflict, including whether a parenting app with built-in documentation will be used
Financial Matters Beyond Child Support
- [ ] How extracurricular activity costs are split, if not addressed elsewhere
- [ ] How uninsured medical, dental, or vision expenses are divided
- [ ] How school supplies, clothing, and other recurring child-related costs are handled
- [ ] Process for handling unexpected or large one-time expenses (a needed medical procedure, an expensive school trip)
Relocation and Future Changes
- [ ] Notice requirement if either parent wants to relocate a significant distance
- [ ] Process for requesting a modification if circumstances change significantly
- [ ] How disagreements about the agreement itself will be resolved (mediation before litigation, for example)
Logistics Often Overlooked Until They Become a Problem
- [ ] Introducing new romantic partners to the child — any agreed-upon approach or timeline
- [ ] Travel notification requirements, especially for trips out of state or out of the country
- [ ] How either parent’s extended family time is handled within the existing schedule
- [ ] What happens if a parent is consistently late to exchanges or misses scheduled time
Before You Sign
- [ ] Read the full agreement together, out loud if possible, to catch ambiguous language before it’s finalized
- [ ] Confirm the agreement has been reviewed by an attorney, mediator, or at minimum a court self-help center, even if both parents drafted it together informally
- [ ] Keep a signed copy accessible to both parents and consider a digital backup
- [ ] Revisit the agreement after major life changes (a new job, a move, the child entering a new school stage) rather than assuming it still fits
For background on the legal custody and physical custody terms used throughout this checklist, see our guide on custody basics.