Child Custody Agreement - Utah

Utah Child Custody Agreement and Proposed Parenting Plan

This document is designed for parents who intend to submit an agreed proposed parenting plan to a Utah court. Utah Code § 81-9-203 requires a proposed parenting plan in a custody or parent-time proceeding and requires an agreed plan to include a signed verified statement. The court retains authority to decide custody and parent-time under the child's best interests. Do not treat this agreement as replacing an existing court order unless the court enters it or Utah law otherwise permits the specific written modification.

1. Court and case information

2. Parents and minor children

3. Requested custody arrangement

3.1 Legal custody

Select one:

☐ Joint legal custody.

☐ Sole legal custody to Parent A.

☐ Sole legal custody to Parent B.

☐ Other requested allocation: [________________________________]

3.2 Physical custody

Select one:

☐ Joint physical custody under the schedule below.

☐ Primary or sole physical custody to Parent A, with Parent B's parent-time below.

☐ Primary or sole physical custody to Parent B, with Parent A's parent-time below.

☐ Other requested allocation: [________________________________]

3.3 Best-interest information

The parents state that the requested arrangement is intended to serve the minor children's best interests under Utah Code §§ 81-9-204 and 81-9-205 for these reasons:

[____________________________________________________________]

[____________________________________________________________]

Safety restrictions, protective orders, or facts requiring special findings:

[____________________________________________________________]

4. Residential and parent-time schedule

Utah Code § 81-9-203 requires a parenting plan to include residential provisions and a schedule covering ordinary days and special occasions.

4.1 Regular school-year schedule

4.2 Summer or off-track schedule

[____________________________________________________________]

Notice required to select extended parent-time: [____] days.

4.3 Holidays, school breaks, and special days

Priority when schedules conflict: [________________________________]

5. Decision-making authority

Under Utah Code § 81-9-203, the parenting plan must allocate decision-making authority for education, healthcare, and religious upbringing. A parent may make an emergency decision affecting a child's health or safety.

School residence and enrollment plan: [________________________________]

Each parent may make ordinary day-to-day decisions while a child resides with that parent, subject to the court's orders and this plan.

6. Information sharing and communication

The parents will promptly exchange information concerning each child's health, education, and welfare, including provider and school contact information, report cards, material notices, and emergency information, to the extent permitted by law and court order.

Routine parent-to-parent communication method: [________________________________]

Emergency notice method and timing: [________________________________]

Child-to-parent telephone or video contact while with the other parent:

[____________________________________________________________]

7. Transportation and exchanges

The parent responsible for transportation at the start of parent-time is: [________________________________]

The parent responsible for return transportation is: [________________________________]

Exchange location: [________________________________]

Delay-notice procedure: [________________________________]

Child restraints, licensed drivers, and other safety terms:

[____________________________________________________________]

8. Relocation

8.1 Statutory relocation threshold and notice

Under Utah Code § 81-9-209, relocation means moving 150 miles or more from the other parent's residence. A relocating parent must provide the other parent written notice at least 60 days before the intended relocation.

The statutory notice must affirm that:

☐ The parent-time provisions in Utah Code § 81-9-209(9), or a schedule approved by both parents, will be followed.

☐ Neither parent will interfere with the other's parental rights under the court-ordered or agreed parent-time schedule.

The parents may voluntarily include a proposed address, reasons, revised schedule, and transportation proposal, but those items are not substituted for the two statutory affirmations above.

8.2 Court review

Utah Code § 81-9-209 does not create a 30-day objection deadline. A parent seeking court review may file a motion asking the court to review the notice, parent-time schedule, and transportation costs. Filing requirements and response deadlines should be confirmed under the current Utah court rules and the assigned court's orders.

8.3 Relocation transportation costs

Agreed allocation, if different from the statutory default and accepted by the court:

[____________________________________________________________]

Unless the court orders otherwise, Utah Code § 81-9-209(17) assigns specified holiday travel costs and one-half of specified extended-parent-time travel costs to the relocating parent when the noncustodial parent is current on support. The statute reallocates costs when the noncustodial parent has been found in contempt for nonpayment and requires reimbursement within 30 days after receipt of expense documents.

9. Dispute resolution

Select the process for disputes about implementing this plan:

☐ Direct written consultation.

☐ Mediation with [________________________________].

☐ Counseling with [________________________________].

☐ Arbitration by [________________________________], subject to district-court review and applicable limits.

☐ Court action.

☐ Other: [________________________________]

The parents will use the selected process before seeking enforcement or modification of implementation issues, except for emergencies requiring immediate court protection. Financial-support disputes are excluded unless the law and court order permit their inclusion. Any mediated agreement or arbitration award will be reduced to writing and provided to both parents.

10. Child support and child-related expenses

Child support is governed by the existing or proposed child-support order and is not waived by this parenting plan.

Health-insurance responsibility: [________________________________]

Uninsured medical expenses: Parent A [____]% / Parent B [____]%.

Work-related childcare: Parent A [____]% / Parent B [____]%.

Agreed extracurricular or educational expenses:

[____________________________________________________________]

11. Safety and conduct provisions

Protective-order or supervised-exchange terms:

[____________________________________________________________]

Medication, allergy, disability, or special-needs instructions:

[____________________________________________________________]

Additional child-focused conduct terms:

[____________________________________________________________]

12. Modification and enforcement

This plan does not authorize either parent to disregard a current court order. Under Utah Code § 81-9-207, a parent-time schedule may be modified by a written agreement signed by both parents or by a new court order. Custody and other court-ordered changes remain subject to Utah Code § 81-9-208 and court approval.

Failure by one parent to comply with this plan or a support order does not excuse the other parent's obligations. A court may address noncompliance through remedies authorized by current law and the governing order.

13. Verification and signatures

The parents verify that this parenting plan is proposed in good faith, is agreed by both parents, and is intended for submission to the court under Utah Code § 81-9-203(6). Each parent states that the information supplied by that parent is true and complete to the best of the parent's knowledge.

Attorney approval, if represented:

Sources and references

• Utah Code, Title 81, Chapter 9 — Custody, Parent-time, and Visitation
• Utah Code §§ 81-9-203, 81-9-204, 81-9-205, 81-9-207, 81-9-208, and 81-9-209, current compilation accessed July 30, 2026.