How to Use the Parenting Plans Website
This website is designed for parents with minor child(ren). It will assist you in providing the Court with your choices relating to custody of your minor child(ren). You will submit to the Court an Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form and a General Time-Sharing Schedule.
The General Time-Sharing Schedule will let the Court know what you think is the best way for your child(ren) to share parenting time with each parent during the school year. The Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form addresses many other issues that you want the Court to consider, such as where parents will meet to exchange custody. There are two court forms to choose from: the SHORT Court Form is recommended for parties who do not have an attorney, and the LONG Court Form is recommended for parties with an attorney. Completing these documents will assist the Court in learning more about you and your family’s circumstances.
The tutorial below provides more details about the website and will help you though the court process.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Use the Menu in the upper right-hand corner of your screen to navigate to your desired page.
- Read about the purpose of the Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Forms and General Time-Sharing Schedules on the Home page.
- Review important definitions for custody types, parenting plans, and time-sharing schedules on the Definitions page.
- Read over the differences between a Short Form and a Long Form, as well as each form and its outline, on the Alabama Model Parenting Plans Court Forms page.
- Determine which of the two forms best fits your needs and save the PDF form to your personal computer to be completed after you select a General Time-Sharing Schedule.
- NOTE: If you are using a public computer, do not save any of your forms to the public computer.
- Depending on which browser you are using, you may have issues with viewing and completing the fillable PDFs. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC software here to ensure that you are able to complete your Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form in its entirety.
- Determine which of the two forms best fits your needs and save the PDF form to your personal computer to be completed after you select a General Time-Sharing Schedule.
- Read about how the General Time-Sharing Schedules are color-coded according to custody type on the Overview of the General Time-Sharing Schedules page.
- Learn how to select a General Time-Sharing Schedule on the Steps to Choosing a General Time-Sharing Schedule page. An example of how two parents, Kris and Taylor, select a General Time-Sharing Schedule for their child is also provided.
- Select your desired custody type from the color-coded boxes on the General Time-Sharing Schedules page. This page also offers additional time-sharing schedules for parents with unique work situations, parents who are reuniting with their child(ren) after an extended separation, and parents with restricted visitation.
- Click on the SEE SCHEDULES button to view the General Time-Sharing Schedule that will suit your desired custody type.
- Select your child(ren)’s age group.
- Click on any calendar image to open a new tab with the details of that General Time-Sharing Schedule.
- After choosing a General Time-Sharing Schedule to submit to the court, scroll to the bottom of your selected schedule’s page and click on the DOWNLOAD button to save your General Time-Sharing Schedule Form like you previously saved your Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form.
- Complete the fillable General Time-Sharing Schedule Form and save your work to be attached to your completed Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form.
- Return to your saved Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form, complete the fillable PDF form, and save your work.
- Attach your saved General Time-Sharing Schedule Form to the end of your completed Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form as Appendix A. If applicable, attach the appropriate child support forms (see information on the Resources page below).
- NOTE: If you are unable to file your papers electronically, contact the circuit clerk’s office of the court handling your case to get more information on filing your papers manually.
- Attach your saved General Time-Sharing Schedule Form to the end of your completed Alabama Model Parenting Plan Court Form as Appendix A. If applicable, attach the appropriate child support forms (see information on the Resources page below).
- Review the Resources page to find links to information that may be helpful, such as the previously mentioned child support forms, a Relocation form, and a direct link to the Parenting Assistance Line.