Plans That Survive Real Tuesdays
A parenting plan is not a feelings essay. It is the operating manual for time, decisions, and logistics when parents do not trust each other. Arizona courts see the same failure mode: pretty words that collapse the first week school starts. Write so a tired clerk can see start times, exchange addresses, and holiday tie-breakers. If your project is changing signed terms after something big moved, that is modification posture, not this checklist.
Week grid
Overnights, school nights, summer blocks, not "often."
Decisions
Medical, school, activities: who decides, who has tie-break.
Exchanges
Address, time, who drives, late and no-show behavior.
Travel & holidays
Notice days, passports, rotation method, tie-break.
| Fight-starting language | Workable language |
|---|---|
| "Reasonable" time without days or clocks | Start/end times and exchange location every week |
| "As agreed" on every holiday | Written rotation plus odd-year / even-year rule |
| Silent on makeup time and transportation | Late pickup, makeup window, who pays for travel |
Relevant Arizona law
The statutes and appellate decisions below are the ones Arizona courts actually apply here. Educational orientation only — not legal advice. Read the source before you rely on it.
Statutes
- A.R.S. § 25-103(B) - Policy Favoring Substantial Parenting Time and Shared Decision-Making
Arizona's declared public policy is that, absent evidence to the contrary, it is in a child's best interest to have substantial, frequent, meaningful and continuing parenting time with both parents and to have both parents participate in decision-making about the child, and a court shall apply Title 25 consistently with that policy. The section does not use the word "presumption", require equal time, or set a standard of proof, and § 25-403.02(E) provides that shared legal decision-making does not necessarily mean equal parenting time.
- A.R.S. § 25-403.02 - Parenting Plans
If the parents cannot agree on legal decision-making or parenting time, each must submit a proposed parenting plan. Consistent with the child's best interests under § 25-403 and §§ 25-403.03, 25-403.04 and 25-403.05, the court shall adopt a parenting plan that provides for both parents to share legal decision-making and that maximizes their respective parenting time, and it shall not prefer a parent's plan because of the parent's or child's gender. The plan must designate legal decision-making as joint or sole, where joint legal decision-making means both parents share decision-making and neither parent's rights or responsibilities are superior except for decisions specified by the court or the parents (§ 25-401(2)), and must include a practical parenting-time schedule; shared legal decision-making does not necessarily mean equal parenting time.
Related guides
More Arizona forms
State guides (overview)
General support (not Arizona-specific)
Official sources
- Arizona Courts: https://www.azcourts.gov/SelfServiceCenter/Family-Law-Forms
- Maricopa County (example county forms hub): https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc/family-court-forms/
Parenting plan questions
What should an Arizona parenting plan actually solve?
A stranger should be able to run the child week without calling you for interpretation. That means specific nights and exchanges, a holiday method, travel notice, and decision rules when parents disagree. Vague comfort language buys future motions.
What is an over-control mistake parents write into plans?
Micro-managing the other parent's household, vague "mutual agreement" traps on every line, or "reasonable time" without clocks and addresses. Plans that read like surveillance drafts age into contempt fights.
Is this page the same as modifying legal decision-making?
No. This page is about drafting workable plan text. Changing an existing order after material life moves is a different procedural story. If you need that lane, compare the modification page after you know what paragraphs you want.
MyCustodyCoach is not a law firm. Court rules, fees, and form versions change by county; confirm what applies to your case with official court resources or counsel you hire.