Child Custody Agreement (D.C. Parenting Plan Preparation Packet)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CHILD CUSTODY AGREEMENT

Proposed Parenting-Plan Preparation Packet

DO NOT FILE THIS PACKET AS AN OFFICIAL COURT FORM. Transfer approved terms
to the current documents required by the Superior Court. A private signature
does not by itself enter or modify a custody or child-support order.

Official parenting-plan reference:
https://www.dccourts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-07/CUSTODY%20PARENTING%20PLAN.pdf

1. Case and Order Control

☐ Complete copies of every current and prior relevant order are attached or securely linked.

☐ The proposed terms do not direct anyone to violate an existing order.

☐ Counsel has identified the correct procedural route: initial custody case, agreed proposed order, contested parenting plan, or motion to modify.

2. Safety and Address Screen

Before exchanging addresses, contact details, or schedules, identify any allegation or finding involving an intrafamily offense, child abuse, child neglect, parental kidnapping, stalking, threats, coercive control, substance-related danger, unsafe exchange, or risk of removal.

☐ No safety concern has been reported after confidential screening.

☐ A safety concern exists and counsel must prepare protected-address, exchange, contact, supervision, or other requested terms: [________________________________]

☐ A current order controls contact or disclosure: [________________________________]

Do not place a confidential address in this packet. Use a substitute or protected address only after counsel confirms the current court process.

3. Parents and Children

Parent A

Full legal name: [________________________________]

Safe mailing address or substitute address: [________________________________]

Safe telephone and email: [________________________________]

Work and recurring schedule constraints: [________________________________]

Parent B

Full legal name: [________________________________]

Safe mailing address or substitute address: [________________________________]

Safe telephone and email: [________________________________]

Work and recurring schedule constraints: [________________________________]

Children Covered by This Plan

If arrangements differ materially among children, prepare a child-specific schedule or separate plan and explain the reason: [________________________________]

4. Proposed Legal Custody and Decision-Making

D.C. law treats legal custody as legal responsibility for a child, including decisions about health, education, and general welfare and access to specified records and information. Select proposed terms only after the best-interest and safety screens are complete.

Overall Proposal

☐ Joint legal custody

☐ Sole legal custody to Parent A

☐ Sole legal custody to Parent B

☐ Other proposed arrangement for court review: [________________________________]

Allocation of Decisions

Routine day-to-day decisions during each parent’s scheduled time: [________________________________]

Emergency health or safety decisions and prompt information-sharing proposal: [________________________________]

Records and provider/school communication proposal: [________________________________]

5. Proposed Physical Custody and Regular Schedule

D.C. law treats physical custody as the child’s living arrangements, including residency or visitation schedules.

Overall Proposal

☐ Joint physical custody

☐ Sole physical custody to Parent A with the schedule below

☐ Sole physical custody to Parent B with the schedule below

☐ Other proposed arrangement for court review: [________________________________]

School-Year Schedule

The cycle repeats: ☐ weekly ☐ every two weeks ☐ other: [________________________________]

School-closure, teacher-workday, weather, and remote-learning terms: [________________________________]

Summer Schedule

☐ School-year schedule continues.

☐ Summer schedule changes as follows: [________________________________]

Vacation selection process, dates, and conflict priority: [________________________________]

6. Holidays, Birthdays, and Breaks

State exact start and end times. Identify whether a holiday schedule overrides the regular schedule.

Priority among holiday, vacation, summer, and regular schedules: [________________________________]

7. Exchanges and Transportation

8. Activities and Temporary Schedule Changes

Activities

Temporary Changes

Request method: ☐ in person ☐ telephone ☐ email ☐ text ☐ parenting application ☐ other: [________________________________]

Ordinary advance notice requested by the parents: [________________________________]

Response method and requested time: [________________________________]

Effect of no response: ☐ existing schedule remains ☐ other term reviewed by counsel: [________________________________]

Make-up time, if expressly agreed: [________________________________]

A temporary accommodation does not itself amend a court order unless the court enters a modification through the proper process.

9. Communications and Information

Parent-to-parent method and boundaries: [________________________________]

Child-to-Parent A contact while away: [________________________________]

Child-to-Parent B contact while away: [________________________________]

School, provider, activity, and emergency information-sharing: [________________________________]

Calendar or parenting-application protocol: [________________________________]

Emergency notice method: [________________________________]

10. Child Expenses and Child-Support Gate

Joint custody does not eliminate child-support responsibility. Do not insert a negotiated support amount without completing the current guideline analysis and court-review requirements.

☐ Current income and required financial information have been exchanged and verified.

☐ Counsel completed the current applicable child-support worksheet.

☐ Any proposed departure from the presumptive guideline has been separately documented for judicial review.

☐ The proposed support terms do not alter an existing support order unless and until the court enters an appropriate order.

11. Travel, Residence, and Other Proposed Terms

Domestic travel information proposal: [________________________________]

International travel, passport, consent, and itinerary proposal: [________________________________]

Residence-change issue identified: ☐ no ☐ yes — details: [________________________________]

Effect of a possible move on school, transportation, and the residential schedule: [________________________________]

No generic relocation notice period is supplied. Counsel must review the controlling order, current law, jurisdiction, the proposed move, and the correct court procedure before drafting any residence-change term or request.

Other child-specific term: [________________________________]

12. Optional Conflict-Resolution Proposal

D.C. Code § 16-914(c)(11) permits a parenting plan to address conflict resolution, such as recognized family counseling or mediation, before applying to the court. It does not make the following choices automatic.

☐ Direct child-focused discussion, when safe

☐ Family counseling by mutual agreement and when clinically appropriate

☐ Mediation by mutual agreement and when safe

☐ Immediate court access preserved for safety, emergency, jurisdictional, or time-sensitive issues

Proposed process, provider selection, cost, timing, confidentiality review, and exceptions: [________________________________]

No binding private arbitration term is created by this packet.

13. Best-Interest and Feasibility Record

Explain how the proposal addresses the child’s circumstances rather than merely the parents’ preferences.

14. Counsel and Filing Completion Checklist

☐ Jurisdiction and any interstate, tribal, foreign, military, or immigration issue were verified.

☐ Parentage and the identities of all persons entitled to notice were verified.

☐ Every proposed term was compared with all controlling orders.

☐ Safety screening was completed separately for each parent.

☐ The current court forms, filing route, service method, fees or waiver, and hearing requirements were verified.

☐ The child-support guideline, worksheet, supporting records, and any departure were completed.

☐ Confidential information was removed, redacted, or submitted through the correct protected process.

☐ Proposed order language identifies precisely what prior provision, if any, would be replaced.

☐ Counsel advised that later modification of a custody award requires the showing and court process stated in current law.

15. Proposed-Term Acknowledgment

This block records approval of draft terms for counsel and court-document preparation. It is not a representation that an order has been entered or modified.

☐ The parents request that approved terms be placed into the correct proposed court order.

☐ The parents understand that the court retains authority over custody and child-support orders.

Sources and Verification Notes

• D.C. Code § 16-914, official D.C. Council XML: https://github.com/DCCouncil/law-xml/blob/main/us/dc/council/code/titles/16/sections/16-914.xml
• D.C. Code § 16-916.01, official D.C. Council XML: https://github.com/DCCouncil/law-xml/blob/main/us/dc/council/code/titles/16/sections/16-916.01.xml
• Superior Court of the District of Columbia Parenting Plan: https://www.dccourts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-07/CUSTODY%20PARENTING%20PLAN.pdf

Official sources were accessed and amendment leads were screened on August 25, 2026. The bill-index searches produced no relevant recent amendment lead for the cited sections; the current official consolidated XML controls.