What is a parenting plan in Maine?

A parenting plan is a written document in which parents set out how they will share decision-making and time with their children. In Maine it can be used by parents who are divorcing, by parents who were never married, or by a parent asking the court to change an existing order. Maine describes the arrangement as parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact, and a Maine court decides it in the best interest of the child (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653(3)).

What is the difference between a parenting plan and a custody order in Maine?

In Maine a parenting plan is the written arrangement the parents propose, while the court's order is what makes it binding. Maine does not use the word custody: the order awards parental rights and responsibilities as allocated, shared, or sole and sets parent-child contact (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653). When the court adopts the parents' proposed plan, it becomes that order, decided in the best interest of the child.

What does parental rights and responsibilities mean in Maine?

Maine uses parental rights and responsibilities instead of custody. It covers decision-making and care for a child and can be awarded three ways: shared, where both parents confer and make joint decisions and retain equal rights; allocated, where responsibilities are divided between the parents; or sole, where one parent has exclusive authority (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1501). The schedule of time with each parent is called parent-child contact.

What standard do Maine courts use to decide parental rights?

A Maine court applies the standard of the best interest of the child when making an award of parental rights and responsibilities (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653(3)). Maine does not set a fixed split. The court decides whether parental rights and responsibilities should be shared, allocated, or sole, and sets parent-child contact based on what best serves the child.

What is parent-child contact in Maine?

Parent-child contact is the Maine term for the schedule of time a child spends with each parent, similar to what other states call visitation or parenting time. In a Maine parenting plan you describe parent-child contact in detail: the regular weekday and weekend routine, holidays, school breaks, and summer, so the court can review the schedule the parents propose in the best interest of the child (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653).

Does Maine require a written parenting plan form?

Maine does not require a separate statutory parenting-plan form. Instead, parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact are set within the divorce or parental rights order (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653). Writing a clear Maine parenting plan still helps, because it shows the court the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities and the parent-child contact schedule the parents are asking it to approve.

Can parents share parental rights and responsibilities in Maine?

Yes. In Maine, shared parental rights and responsibilities means most or all aspects of a child's welfare remain the joint responsibility of both parents, who confer and make joint decisions and retain equal rights (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1501). A Maine court awards shared, allocated, or sole parental rights and responsibilities according to the best interest of the child (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653(2)(D)(1)).

Do I have to take a parenting class to file a parenting plan in Maine?

Maine does not have a statewide statute in Title 19-A Section 1653 requiring a parenting-education class in every case. Where a class is required, it comes from a court order or Family Division practice rather than a statewide statute, so check with the District Court's Family Division. A Maine parenting plan still needs to set out parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653).

Maine Parenting Plan

A Maine parenting plan sets out parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact that two parents ask the court to approve in the best interest of the child. Attorney review available.

Find out where you stand in Maine

What is your situation with the parenting plan?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

Introduction

A parenting plan is a written agreement setting out how two parents will share decision-making and time with their children, used by parents who are divorcing, parents who were never married, and parents changing an existing Maine court order. Maine uses its own vocabulary. Maine does not use the word custody. Instead, a Maine court awards parental rights and responsibilities, and it uses the term parent-child contact for the schedule of time a child spends with each parent. Parental rights and responsibilities can be awarded as allocated, shared, or sole, according to the best interest of the child (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653(2)(D)(1)), and the court applies the standard of the best interest of the child when making that award (Section 1653(3)). Under shared parental rights and responsibilities most or all aspects of a child's welfare remain the joint responsibility of both parents, who confer and make joint decisions; allocated parental rights and responsibilities divides responsibilities between the parents; and sole parental rights and responsibilities gives one parent exclusive authority (19-A M.R.S. Section 1501). Maine does not require a separate statutory parenting-plan form; parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact are set within the divorce or parental rights order. DocDraft builds your Maine parenting plan from your family's schedule, with attorney review available before you submit it to the court.

Key Things to Know

1
A parenting plan is a written document in which two parents set out parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact for their children, whether the parents are divorcing, were never married, or are changing an existing order.
2
Maine does not use the word custody; a Maine court awards parental rights and responsibilities and uses the term parent-child contact for the schedule (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653).
3
In Maine, parental rights and responsibilities can be awarded as allocated, shared, or sole, according to the best interest of the child (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653(2)(D)(1)).
4
A Maine court applies the standard of the best interest of the child when making an award of parental rights and responsibilities (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653(3)).
5
Under shared parental rights and responsibilities in Maine, both parents retain equal rights and confer and make joint decisions about the child's welfare (19-A M.R.S. Section 1501).
6
Allocated parental rights and responsibilities divides responsibilities between the parents, while sole parental rights and responsibilities gives one parent exclusive authority (19-A M.R.S. Section 1501).
7
Maine does not require a separate statutory parenting-plan form; parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact are set within the divorce or parental rights order.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Parenting Plan in Maine, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Parenting Plan guide walks through them.

Open the Parenting Plan guide

Customize your Parenting Plan Template with DocDraft

MAINE PARENTING PLAN

This parenting plan is made between [PARENT 1 FULL NAME] and [PARENT 2 FULL NAME], the parents of the child or children named below. The parents may be married and divorcing, or unmarried, and this plan may also be used to change an existing order. It sets out parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact the parents ask a Maine court to approve in the best interest of the child.

Children covered: [CHILD FULL NAME, DATE OF BIRTH] [ADD EACH CHILD].

Parental rights and responsibilities (decision-making). The parents will have [shared / allocated / sole to PARENT] parental rights and responsibilities. Under shared parental rights and responsibilities, both parents confer and make joint decisions about the children's education, health care, and religious upbringing. If responsibilities are allocated, [describe which parent controls which aspect]. Each parent may make routine day-to-day decisions while a child is in that parent's care and may authorize emergency medical treatment when needed.
Parent-child contact (the schedule). Maine uses the term parent-child contact for the time the children spend with each parent. The children's primary residence will be with [PARENT], and parent-child contact with the other parent will be as follows. Weekdays: [describe the regular weekday schedule]. Weekends: [describe the alternating or fixed weekend schedule, with exchange times].
Holidays and special days. The parents will divide holidays as follows: [Thanksgiving, winter holidays, and other holidays, alternating by year or as agreed]. Mother's Day is with [PARENT] and Father's Day with [PARENT]. Each child's birthday: [describe].
School breaks and summer. Winter and spring school breaks will be divided [describe]. Summer parent-child contact will be [describe, for example alternating weeks or an extended block for each parent], with written notice of vacation dates by [DATE] each year.
Exchanges and transportation. Exchanges will take place at [LOCATION] at [TIME]. [Each parent / PARENT] will provide transportation for [pick-up / drop-off]. If a parent will be more than [NUMBER] minutes late, that parent will notify the other parent as soon as possible.
Communication. The children may contact either parent by phone or video call during reasonable hours. The parents will share information about the children's health, school, and activities, and will keep each other informed of their current address and phone number.
Relocation. A parent who intends to move the children's residence a significant distance will give the other parent written notice before the planned move, so the parents can discuss the change or, if needed, ask the court to review parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact.
Dispute resolution. If a disagreement arises about this plan, the parents will first try to resolve it between themselves and, if that does not work, through mediation before returning to court.

This parenting plan is subject to court approval and is decided under the standard of the best interest of the child (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653(3)). For the general template and other states, see the Parenting Plan hub.

Signed: _____________________ [PARENT 1] Date: __________ _____________________ [PARENT 2] Date: __________

Maine Requirements for Parenting Plan

Parental Rights and Responsibilities, Not Custody
Maine does not use the word custody. A Maine court awards parental rights and responsibilities and uses the term parent-child contact for the schedule of time with each parent. Parental rights and responsibilities can be awarded as allocated, shared, or sole, according to the best interest of the child (Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Section 1653(2)(D)(1)).
Best Interest of the Child Standard
A Maine court applies the standard of the best interest of the child when making an award of parental rights and responsibilities (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653(3)). Maine does not set a fixed split; the court decides whether the award should be shared, allocated, or sole based on what best serves the child.
Shared Parental Rights and Responsibilities
Under shared parental rights and responsibilities in Maine, most or all aspects of a child's welfare remain the joint responsibility and right of both parents, so both parents retain equal rights and confer and make joint decisions regarding the child's welfare (19-A M.R.S. Section 1501).
Allocated and Sole Parental Rights
Allocated parental rights and responsibilities means responsibilities are divided between the parents, with the parent allocated a responsibility controlling that aspect of the child's welfare; sole parental rights and responsibilities gives one parent exclusive authority over all aspects, with the possible exception of support (19-A M.R.S. Section 1501).
Set Within the Divorce or Parental Rights Order
Maine does not require a separate statutory parenting-plan form. Parental rights and responsibilities and parent-child contact are set within the divorce or parental rights order under the best interest standard (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653). A clear written plan shows the court the allocation and schedule the parents propose.
Decision-Making Detail
Your Maine plan should state whether parental rights and responsibilities are shared, allocated, or sole, and how the parents will make major decisions about the children's education, health care, and religious upbringing. Under shared rights both parents confer and make joint decisions (19-A M.R.S. Section 1501).
Parent-Child Contact Schedule
Your plan should describe parent-child contact, Maine's term for the schedule: the regular weekday and weekend routine, holidays, school breaks, and summer, plus exchanges and transportation. Describing parent-child contact clearly lets the court review the schedule the parents propose in the best interest of the child (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653).
Court Approval and Parenting Class
A Maine parenting plan takes effect only when the court approves it under the best interest of the child standard (19-A M.R.S. Section 1653(3)). Any parenting-education class requirement comes from a court order or Family Division practice rather than a statewide statute, so check with the District Court's Family Division.

Find out where you stand in Maine

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Parenting Plan Template with DocDraft

Maine Requirements for Parenting Plan

Parental Rights and Responsibilities, Not Custody

Best Interest of the Child Standard

Shared Parental Rights and Responsibilities

Allocated and Sole Parental Rights

Set Within the Divorce or Parental Rights Order

Decision-Making Detail

Parent-Child Contact Schedule

Court Approval and Parenting Class

Frequently Asked Questions