Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate
Make a child arrangements plan
You do not have to do any official paperwork if you agree about child arrangements.
You can write down what you’ve agreed in a ‘child arrangements plan’ if you want a record.
You can use this service to help you plan and agree on child arrangements. It creates a document which you can share with the other parent to ask for their agreement and suggestions.
You can also use the service with the other parent to make a plan together.
What the plan includes
You’ll be asked to suggest details about how you plan to look after your children, such as:
- when and where they spend time with each parent
- when and what other types of contact take place (phone calls, for example)
When to use this service
You can use this service if you either:
- have no child arrangements in place yet
- want to suggest changes to your existing arrangements
You should not use this service if you already have a court order that sets out child arrangements you and your ex-partner must follow. You can change or enforce an order instead.
Make your plan
Any plan you create using this service is not legally binding. The other parent does not have to do what it says and either of you can suggest changes to it at any time.
Do not use this service if you feel pressured or intimidated into using it. If you or your children are at immediate risk of harm, call 999 and ask for the police. Find out how to get help if you’re a victim of domestic abuse.
If you want to make changes to the plan, you can use the service again but you’ll need to create a new plan.
You can also download and fill in the child arrangements plan template (PDF, 0.5MB).
If you need help to reach an agreement
A legal adviser can help you make a legally binding agreement or recommend other ways to agree on child arrangements outside of court. They can also tell you how much it costs.
Making your agreement legally binding
You can get a legal adviser to prepare a draft ‘consent order’.
You and your ex-partner both have to sign the draft consent order. You’ll also need to get it approved by the court.
If the court approves your agreement the consent order becomes legally binding.
Get your consent order approved
You or your ex-partner need to apply for a court order to ask the court to approve your agreement.
Keep a copy of both the form and the draft consent order.
After the court gets your paperwork
There’s usually no court hearing. A judge will approve your consent order if they think the arrangements are best for your children.
If the judge does not agree with what is in your draft consent order, they can:
- arrange a court hearing
- ask for more evidence to help them decide what order should be made
Help and support
Get help and information from Citizens Advice.
Find support and guidance about child abuse and neglect on NSPCC’s website.
Find out how to get help if you’re a victim of domestic abuse.