Parenting Plans in Scotland
A parenting plan provides a clear, practical framework for how separated parents will work together to raise their children. Our solicitors can help you create arrangements that put your children first.
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Create, review or update a clear parenting framework as family circumstances change.
A parenting plan records how separated parents intend to care for their children. It can be created at separation or used to review and update an arrangement that no longer works as a child or family’s circumstances change. It is not about reducing family life to a rigid timetable. Its purpose is to give children predictability and give parents a shared reference point for the decisions that arise throughout the year.
We help parents build arrangements that reflect the child’s age, routine, relationships, schooling and views. The level of detail should be enough to prevent avoidable disagreement without making ordinary flexibility impossible.
A team with extensive experience across the full range of family law.
Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, with telephone and video appointments available throughout Scotland.
Focused advice from a family solicitor, followed by a written assessment and a tailored fee estimate.
A dedicated family law team handling everything from straightforward separation to complex financial and child law disputes.
How Do We Help With Parenting Plans?
At Kee Solicitors, we help separating parents create parenting plans that provide clarity and stability for their children. Our team works with you to agree practical arrangements covering day-to-day care, holidays, schooling and communication, giving your family a solid foundation to move forward.
What a parenting plan should cover and when legal formality is appropriate.
A useful plan can address ordinary residence and contact, handovers, school and nursery, holidays, birthdays, travel, medical decisions, activities, communication with the child, communication between parents and how new issues will be discussed. It should also include a sensible review process as the child grows.
A parenting plan is not automatically a court order. Where the parents want greater formality, agreed terms can be reflected in a Minute of Agreement. Where enforceability or protection is required, a section 11 court order may be more appropriate. In every case, the Scottish court retains power to make a different order if the child’s welfare requires it.
We can advise one parent on a proposed plan, negotiate wording through the other parent’s solicitor or help convert an agreement reached in mediation into an appropriate legal document. Where domestic abuse or coercive control is present, direct planning may not be safe and another route should be used.
Our one-hour fixed-fee initial consultation costs £250 + VAT. You will receive focused advice from a family solicitor, a written assessment of your position and a tailored estimate for any further work.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Parenting Plans in Scotland
Common questions about parenting plans for separated parents in Scotland.
Is a parenting plan legally binding?
Not by itself. It is a practical record of agreement. Terms can be incorporated into a formal Scottish agreement, and a court can make a section 11 order where legal enforcement or protection is needed.
What happens if one parent stops following the plan?
The first step depends on the seriousness and reason for the breach. Clarification, solicitor correspondence or mediation may help. Where the child’s welfare or an established relationship is being affected, a court order may be required.
Can a parenting plan be changed?
Yes. It should adapt as the child’s needs, school, activities and views change. Agreed changes should be recorded clearly. If a court order already exists, advice should be taken before departing from it.
Do we need a solicitor to make a parenting plan?
Not always, but advice is useful where there is disagreement, a complex schedule, relocation, safety concerns or uncertainty about parental responsibilities and rights. A solicitor can also ensure the intended level of legal effect is achieved.
What should a parenting plan include?
It should address the ordinary weekly pattern, holidays, special occasions, handovers, travel, education, health, activities, communication, expenses where relevant, decision-making and how disagreements or future changes will be managed.
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