• Uncontested Divorces
• Contested Divorce
• Mediation
• Child Support
• Alimony / Spousal Support
• Child Support Modification
• Parenting Plans
• Child Custody / Visitation Modification
• Contempt Actions
• Separation of Marital Property
• Paternity / Legitimation
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Guardian Ad Litem

January 2008, Georgia law changed to require any party resolving a custody or visitation dispute to submit a Parenting Plan.  A Parenting Plan is a Court order that identifies the primary physical custodian, the secondary physical custodian (party with visitation) and how legal custody is to be divided.  The parties or the Court must specifically lay out the child or children’s schedule for the entire year, including specific times and dates each parent’s custody time will end, as well as who will have the final decision making authority for educational, religious, extra-curricular and non-emergency medical decisions. 

With regard to the children’s schedule, the Parenting Plan must lay out when the children are to be dropped off, where they are to be dropped off and picked up, who is responsible for drop off and pick up, who will be responsible for travel costs and, in certain cases, how the exchange is to occur.  The Parenting Plan also requires the parties to detail how the schedule will differ during holidays, whether the visitation will be supervised and how and when each party can contact the child or children.  If visitation will be supervised, the parties should list each and every potential supervisor, how long supervised visitation will continue and when supervision may end. 

Essentially, the legislature wanted to ensure the parties detailed each and every aspect of raising the child or children to avoid further dispute in the future.  In many ways, the Parenting Plan does help clarify situations for the parties and helps to resolve disputes.  Unfortunately, some parents use the specificity of the plans to punish the other parent and to prevent the children from seeing their parent.  If you are facing such a situation, please contact the Millard Law Firm immediately.  If this situation is properly documented, it may be reason to modify visitation or custody.  Please do not hesitate to call to determine your rights.