PARENTING
PLANS IN WASHINGTON
A Parenting Plan
is a document that addresses the issues
associated with making arrangements for
children, traditionally referred to as
custody and visitation issues. A
Parenting Plan specifically sets forth
the respective rights and
responsibilities of both parents
regarding their children. If
married parents of minor children are
seeking a dissolution or legal
separation, a Parenting Plan is required.
Along with
allocating residential time between the
parents, a Parenting Plan also provides
for decision making authority and dispute
resolution process. The residential
provisions must porvide when the children
will reside with both parents. It may be
more time with one parent than the other,
but both parents have residential time
(there is no custody and visitation). The
Parenting Plan must spell out how
decisions are made, either by the mother,
the father, or by both parents jointly.
On major issues such as health, education
and religious upbringing. The Parenting
Plan must also spell out how disputes
between the parents in implementing the
plan are to be resolved. The options are
either counseling, mediatation,
arbitration or court action.
In entering a
Parenting Plan, the best interests of the
child is the standard by which the Court
determines and allocates the parties'
parental responsibilities. These
interests are met with an arrangement
that best maintains a child's emotional
growth, health and stability, and
physical care. Further, the best
interest of the child is ordinarily
served when the existing pattern of
interaction between a parent and child is
altered only to the extent necessitated
by the changed relationship of the
parents or as required to protect the
child from physical, mental, or emotional
harm.
Our firm consist of three
lawyers, Peter W. Mogren, Ronald E.
Glessner, and Ruth A. Roti. Our
emphasis is in family law, wills and
probate, and personal injury.
Please click on the topics above for
details about these areas of practice,
including divorce, legal separation,
property division, child support, spousal
maintenance, parenting plans,
modifications, paternity, adoption,
wills, Community Property Agreements,
Durable Power of Attorney, and probate.
Our firm is conveniently located
in Renton, King County, Washington, just
off the freeway at the intersection of
I-405 and I-167. Our attorneys
represent clients throughout the State of
Washington, including the communities of
Renton, Kent, Tukwila, Seattle, Bellevue,
Auburn, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Des
Moines, Burien, SeaTac, Enumclaw and most
of south King County.
The free
information contained in these pages
is not
intended to be legal advice, and does
not create an attorney-client
relationship. You should always
consult with an attorney before
taking any action. Feel free to call
us at 425-255-4542.
