Parenting Plan Mediation — arrangements built around your kids.

What is a parenting plan?

A parenting plan is a written agreement between parents that sets out how they'll share the care and raising of their children after separation. It covers the practical details — where the children live, the time they spend with each parent, how decisions are made, how communication happens — in enough detail to actually function as a working arrangement.

It must be in writing, signed by both parents, and dated. It can be reached directly or, more often, through family law mediation. The Family Law Act recognises parenting plans as the way parents typically organise life after separation — they're explicitly contemplated in the legislation as a legitimate alternative to court orders.

Parenting plan vs consent orders

This is the most important distinction to understand. A parenting plan and consent orders cover similar ground, but they're not the same thing:

Parenting plan vs consent orders

	Parenting plan	Consent orders
Format	Written, signed, dated agreement	Court-approved orders
Legally enforceable?	No, not directly	Yes, same as a judge's order
Flexibility to change	High — just agree and update	Low — needs court application
Cost	Mediation fee only	Mediation + filing fee + drafting
Time to put in place	Days	Weeks (court processing)
Best when	Parents communicate, want flexibility	Need certainty, history of conflict

For many families, the right answer is a parenting plan first — lived in for a while, refined as the kids grow — with consent orders later if the arrangements stabilise and you want them locked in. Some families go straight to consent orders. We help you choose. See the full parenting plans guide →

What goes into a parenting plan

A well-built plan covers the issues you'll actually face week to week:

• Living arrangements — primary residence, time at each home, the weekly rhythm
• Time with each parent — the weekly pattern, holidays, special days (birthdays, Christmas, Mother's/Father's Day)
• School holidays — how the longer breaks are divided
• Travel — within Australia and overseas, including consent for passports
• Decision-making — schooling, healthcare, religion, extracurriculars
• Day-to-day communication — between parents and with the children
• Changeover — location, time, who does it
• Future changes — how the plan gets updated as kids grow and life shifts
• Disputes — how disagreements get resolved (often: back to mediation)

How mediation builds it

1. Initial intake — each parent meets separately with the practitioner. We map the issues, assess any safety concerns, and prepare you for the session.
2. Pre-mediation thinking — you work through what you want, what the kids need, what's practical given work and distance.
3. The mediation session — you and your former partner work through the arrangement with the mediator's guidance. Joint session or shuttle (separate rooms) depending on the dynamics.
4. Drafting the plan — the agreement is documented in plain language while it's fresh.
5. Sign-off — both parents sign and date the plan. Done.
6. Optional formalisation — if you want it legally binding, the plan becomes the basis for consent orders.

This is a recognised approach under the Attorney-General's Dept — Family Dispute Resolution framework, and the practitioner is accredited to issue a Section 60I certificate if the matter doesn't fully resolve.

Keeping the child at the centre

The single most important principle in any parenting plan: it's about what the children need, not about what either parent feels they're owed. The legal test is the best interests of the child — the same standard a court applies. See how the best-interests test works →

In practice, this means thinking about:

• Stability and routine — children, especially younger ones, thrive on predictability
• Meaningful relationships with both parents — where safe
• The children's developmental stage — a toddler's needs aren't a teenager's needs
• Their voice (age-appropriately) — older children's views matter, without making them decide
• Safety, above all — where there are concerns, they take priority over contact

Changing the plan over time

This is where parenting plans really shine. Children grow, circumstances change, what worked at five doesn't work at fifteen. A parenting plan can be updated by simple agreement — sign a new one, date it, done. Compare that with court orders, which require a fresh application to change.

The flexibility cuts both ways: it means a plan only holds if both parents continue to honour it. Where one parent stops cooperating, a plan offers less protection than a court order. That's why many families build the parenting plan first, then move to consent orders once the arrangements have proved stable. See consent orders →

Making it legally binding

A parenting plan itself isn't directly enforceable. To give it the force of law — so that breaches have legal consequences — the plan needs to be converted into consent orders: a court-approved version of the same arrangement. The court reviews the proposed orders against the best-interests test, and if approved, they're enforceable just like a judge had ordered them.

We handle this conversion as part of the mediation service — you're not left to find separate lawyers to draft the orders. Most families who go this route do so within a few weeks of finalising their plan. See which option suits you →

Getting started

The first step is a free initial consultation. We'll listen to your situation, assess whether mediation is the right path for your family, and outline what's involved. Most parenting plan mediations are resolved in one or two sessions — a matter of weeks, not the years a contested matter can take.

If your situation has any safety concerns or family violence history, we'll assess that honestly and help you understand the alternatives. Mediation isn't appropriate for every family — but it's the right path for most, and we'll tell you straight which side of that line you're on.