Model Parenting Time Plans for Parent/Child Access in Arizona

    The Arizona Supreme Court has published a guide containing several model parenting plans that are used by the Court to help determine what schedule will be in the best interest of the children.  A parenting plan is an order defining each parent's right of access to the children and describing each parent's rights and responsibilities.  The Model Parenting Time Plans are not binding on the Court.  Instead, they are considered to be persuasive authority.  The Court will make findings as to what parenting schedule is in the best interests of the children.

    The Model Parenting Time Plans also contain several tips for parents to consider when determining what schedule will work best for their families.  Those tips include:

• the child's age, maturity, temperment and strength of attachment to each parent
• the child's relationship with siblings and friends
• the distance between the two households
• the flexibility of both parent's work schedules and the child's schedule to accommodate extended access
• childcare arrangements
• transportation needs
• the ability of the parents to communicate and cooperate
• the child's and parents' cultural and religious practices
• a parent's willingness to provide adequate supervision even if the parent has not done so in the past
• a parent's ability and willingness to learn basic care giving skills such as feeding, changing, and bathing a young child, preparing a child for daycare or school or taking responsibility for helping a child with homework
• a parent's ability to care for the child's needs

any special needs of the child and parents

    Parenting plans also consider the ages of the children, the developmental needs of each age group, and the relative level of involvement of the parent enjoying access to the children under the plan.  There are also recommendations for holiday and vacation parenting time, as well as parenting schedules that have been modified to address long-distance parenting issues.

    The Model Parenting Time Plans for Parent/Child Access are not appropriate in certain cases, including those where domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, substance abuse, criminal activity, severe mental or emotional illness, or a very high level of parental conflict is present.

    The Model Parenting Time Plans for Parent/Child Access can be found at http://www.supreme.state.az.us/dr/text/modelptplans.htm.