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CustodyPlan

California Parenting Plan

California asks parents to attend custody mediation before a contested hearing, so arriving with a clear written plan and a calendar frequently shortens the process.

Document
Parenting plan (child custody and visitation order)
Court
Superior Court
Decision-making called
Legal custody
Parenting time called
Physical custody

Build your California residential schedule

Choose a pattern and get the exact overnight counts your parenting plan (child custody and visitation order) needs to state.

Schedule pattern

50/50

Each parent keeps the same two weekdays every week and the weekends alternate, producing a repeating 2-2-5-5 night pattern.

January 2026

  • Parent A
  • Parent B

Tap any night to switch parents.

A parenting plan (child custody and visitation order) is the written document that tells the Superior Court, and, afterwards, both households, where your children are on each night of the year and who decides what. Once the court signs it, it is an order rather than an agreement.

California uses the term physical custody for the time the children spend with each parent, and legal custody for the authority to make major decisions. Drafting in the state's own vocabulary avoids questions at filing and makes the plan easier for the court to read.

What a California plan needs to cover

1

Residential schedule

Which parent the children are with on every night of the year, including how the regular rotation works and when it starts.

2

Holidays and school breaks

How Thanksgiving, the winter holidays, spring break, summer and each child's birthday are divided, and how the rotation alternates between years.

3

Exchanges and transportation

Where exchanges happen, at what time, who does the driving, and what happens when someone is running late.

4

Decision-making

Who decides on education, medical care, religion and activities: jointly, or with one parent having the final say in specific areas.

5

Communication

How the parents contact each other, how each parent contacts the children during the other's time, and what counts as an emergency.

6

Changes and disputes

How the parenting plan gets changed later, notice periods for relocation, and what the parents will try before returning to court.

Filing in California

Custody and physical custody matters in California are heard in the Superior Court. Forms, filing fees, mediation requirements and local rules differ between counties, and they change, so confirm the current requirements with the court where you are filing before you prepare anything final.

The California judiciary publishes its current forms and local rules at courts.ca.gov. CustodyPlan is not affiliated with any court.

Choosing a schedule that works in California

The schedule is the part of the plan you will actually live with, and the part every other section depends on. Start from your children's ages and the distance between the two homes, then pick the pattern that fits both.

California questions

What is a parenting plan in California?
It is the written agreement describing legal custody, physical custody and the parenting-time schedule. Once a judge signs it, it becomes the custody and visitation order.
Do I have to go to mediation in California?
Parents in a contested custody matter are generally required to attend child custody recommending counseling or mediation before the hearing, and which of the two your county runs makes a real difference. In a recommending county the counselor sends the judge a written recommendation if you do not agree. In a confidential county nothing from the session reaches the judge. Checked against each superior court's own rules and public guidance in August 2026, 33 of the 58 counties use the recommending model, 16 keep mediation confidential, eight run both, and Alpine does not publish which it uses. Los Angeles, Orange and Santa Clara are confidential. San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino are recommending. Sacramento runs both. A finished plan and a printed calendar give the session a concrete starting point.
Which California form does a parenting plan attach to?
Custody and visitation terms are usually set out on the Judicial Council custody attachment forms filed with the court. Check the current forms on the California Courts site, as form numbers and revisions change.
What is a California parenting plan (child custody and visitation order) called on the court forms?
California refers to it as a parenting plan (child custody and visitation order), filed in the Superior Court. The state uses "legal custody" for decision-making authority and "physical custody" for the time each parent spends with the children. Check the current forms published by the California judiciary before filing, as forms and local rules change.
How many overnights do I need for a California plan?
Whatever your schedule actually produces, and the plan should state it precisely. In most states the overnight count feeds into the child-support formula and into how the arrangement is classified, though a few states, Texas among them, set guideline support from income alone. The calculator on this page gives you the exact annual figure for the schedule you choose.
Can I write my own parenting plan (child custody and visitation order) in California?
Parents routinely prepare and file their own agreed plans. Where California publishes a mandatory or preferred form, work the schedule and figures out first and then transfer them onto that form. Having an attorney review the plan before you sign is advisable, particularly if the two of you disagree on anything substantive.
CustodyPlan is a document-preparation tool, not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice, and using CustodyPlan does not create an attorney-client relationship. We are not affiliated with any court. Have your completed plan reviewed by an attorney or your local court before filing.