What is a parenting plan in Missouri?

In Missouri, a parenting plan is the written document in which parents set out custody, the residential schedule, decision-making, and how the children's expenses are handled. 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. Missouri makes it mandatory: any judgment providing for custody shall include a specific written parenting plan (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.9).

Is a parenting plan required in Missouri?

Yes. Missouri is a mandatory-parenting-plan state. Any judgment providing for custody shall include a specific written parenting plan setting forth its terms (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.9). In addition, the petitioner and respondent must submit a proposed parenting plan, individually or jointly, within thirty days after service of process or entry of appearance in a custody or visitation matter (Section 452.310.8).

What must a Missouri parenting plan include?

Under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.310.8, a parenting plan must include three things: a specific written residential and visitation schedule for each child (holidays, school breaks, birthdays, weekdays, weekends, and vacations); a plan for legal custody detailing how decisions about education, health care, extracurriculars, and child care are made; and how the children's expenses, including child care, educational, and extraordinary expenses, and child support are paid.

What is joint legal custody in Missouri?

In Missouri, joint legal custody means the parents share the decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority relating to the health, education, and welfare of the child, and unless the court allocates otherwise they must confer with one another (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.1(2)). It is about who makes major decisions, which is separate from where the child lives.

What is joint physical custody in Missouri?

In Missouri, joint physical custody means an order awarding each parent significant, but not necessarily equal, periods of time during which the child resides with or is under the care and supervision of each parent (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.1(3)). It is shared so as to assure the child of frequent, continuing and meaningful contact with both parents.

How soon must I file a parenting plan in Missouri?

In a Missouri custody or visitation matter, the petitioner and respondent must submit a proposed parenting plan, either individually or jointly, within thirty days after service of process or the filing of the entry of appearance, whichever occurs first (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.310.8). Submitting a clear, complete plan on time helps the court move the case forward.

Which court approves a parenting plan in Missouri?

In Missouri, the circuit court handling your divorce or custody case reviews the proposed parenting plan and approves it as part of the custody judgment under the best interests of the child. Because any judgment providing for custody must include a specific written parenting plan (Section 452.375.9), the approved plan and the custody order are effectively the same document.

Missouri Parenting Plan

Q: What is the difference between a parenting plan and a custody order in Missouri?

In Missouri the parenting plan is the detailed written arrangement, and the custody order or judgment is what the court enters. The two are tightly linked because Missouri requires that any judgment providing for custody include a specific written parenting plan (Section 452.375.9). The parents submit a proposed plan, and once the court approves it under the best interests of the child, its terms become the binding custody judgment.

In Missouri a written parenting plan is required in every custody judgment, setting out joint legal and physical custody and the parenting schedule for the court to approve. Attorney review available.

Find out where you stand in Missouri

What is your situation with the parenting plan?

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Introduction

In Missouri, a written parenting plan is not optional: any judgment providing for custody must include a specific written parenting plan, and it is used by parents who are divorcing, by parents who were never married, and by parents changing an existing order (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.9). A parenting plan is the written document in which parents set out custody, the residential schedule, decision-making, and how the children's expenses are handled. Missouri custody uses two building blocks: joint legal custody, which under Section 452.375.1(2) means the parents share the decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority relating to the health, education, and welfare of the child and confer with one another, and joint physical custody, which under Section 452.375.1(3) means each parent has significant, but not necessarily equal, periods of time with the child, shared so the child has frequent, continuing and meaningful contact with both parents. Missouri law requires the petitioner and respondent to submit a proposed parenting plan within thirty days, covering a residential schedule, legal-custody decision-making, and the children's expenses and child support (Section 452.310.8). Because the statute text here is confirmed through a proxy of the primary code and a corroborating search pending direct re-confirmation, DocDraft builds your Missouri parenting plan from your family's schedule, with attorney review available before you file it in circuit court.

Key Things to Know

1
A parenting plan is a written document in which two parents set out custody, the residential schedule, decision-making, and how the children's expenses are handled, whether the parents are divorcing, were never married, or are changing an existing order.
2
In Missouri a written parenting plan is mandatory: any judgment providing for custody shall include a specific written parenting plan setting forth its terms (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.9).
3
The petitioner and respondent in a Missouri custody case must submit a proposed parenting plan within thirty days of service or entry of appearance (Section 452.310.8).
4
In Missouri, joint legal custody means the parents share the decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority relating to the health, education, and welfare of the child and confer with one another (Section 452.375.1(2)).
5
In Missouri, joint physical custody means each parent has significant, but not necessarily equal, periods of time with the child, shared to assure frequent, continuing and meaningful contact with both parents (Section 452.375.1(3)).
6
A Missouri parenting plan must cover a residential and visitation schedule, how legal-custody decisions are made, and how the children's expenses and child support are handled (Section 452.310.8).
7
A Missouri parenting plan takes effect when the circuit court approves it as part of a custody judgment under the best interests of the child.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Parenting Plan in Missouri, 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

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MISSOURI 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 modify an existing order. Missouri requires that any judgment providing for custody include a specific written parenting plan (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.9), and this plan sets out custody, the residential schedule, decision-making, and the children's expenses for the circuit court to approve.

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

Legal custody (decision-making). The parents will share [joint / sole to PARENT] legal custody. Under joint legal custody in Missouri the parents share the decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority over the children's health, education, and welfare, and will confer with one another. Major decisions about education, medical and dental care, extracurricular activities, and child care will be made [jointly / by PARENT].
Physical custody and residential schedule. The parents will share [joint / sole to PARENT] physical custody. Under joint physical custody each parent has significant, though not necessarily equal, time with the children, so the children have frequent, continuing and meaningful contact with both parents. Weekdays: [describe the regular weekday schedule]. Weekends: [describe the alternating or fixed weekend schedule, with pick-up and drop-off 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 parenting time 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.
Expenses and child support. The plan will state how the children's expenses, including child care, educational, and extraordinary expenses, and child support, are paid, and which parent provides health insurance (Section 452.310.8).
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 circuit court approval and is guided by the best interests of the child (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375). For the general template and other states, see the Parenting Plan hub.

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

Missouri Requirements for Parenting Plan

Mandatory Written Parenting Plan
Missouri is a mandatory-parenting-plan state: any judgment providing for custody shall include a specific written parenting plan setting forth its terms (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.9). Statute text here is confirmed through a proxy of the primary code pending direct re-confirmation; attorney review is available.
Submit a Proposed Plan Within 30 Days
In a Missouri custody or visitation matter, the petitioner and respondent must submit a proposed parenting plan, individually or jointly, within thirty days after service of process or entry of appearance (Section 452.310.8). This is a statutory filing step in the case, not a penalty.
Joint Legal Custody
In Missouri, joint legal custody means the parents share the decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority relating to the health, education, and welfare of the child, and unless the court allocates otherwise they confer with one another (Missouri Revised Statutes Section 452.375.1(2)).
Joint Physical Custody
In Missouri, joint physical custody means each parent has significant, but not necessarily equal, periods of time during which the child resides with or is under the care and supervision of each parent, shared to assure the child of frequent, continuing and meaningful contact with both parents (Section 452.375.1(3)).
Residential and Visitation Schedule
A Missouri parenting plan must include a specific written schedule detailing custody, visitation, and residential time for each child with each parent, covering major and school holidays, birthdays, weekdays, weekends, and vacation periods (Section 452.310.8).
Decision-Making Plan
A Missouri parenting plan must include a specific written plan for legal custody detailing how the decision-making rights and responsibilities are shared, addressing educational decisions, medical, dental, and health care, extracurricular activities, and choice of child care provider (Section 452.310.8).
Expenses and Child Support
A Missouri parenting plan must state how the children's expenses, including child care, educational, and extraordinary expenses, are paid, along with a suggested child support amount and which parent provides health insurance (Section 452.310.8).
Circuit Court Approval
A Missouri parenting plan takes effect when the circuit court approves it as part of the custody judgment under the best interests of the child (Section 452.375). Because any custody judgment must include a specific written parenting plan, the approved plan and the custody order are the same document.

Find out where you stand in Missouri

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Parenting Plan Template with DocDraft

Missouri Requirements for Parenting Plan

Mandatory Written Parenting Plan

Submit a Proposed Plan Within 30 Days

Joint Legal Custody

Joint Physical Custody

Residential and Visitation Schedule

Decision-Making Plan

Expenses and Child Support

Circuit Court Approval

Frequently Asked Questions