Illinois Parenting Plans: 10 Required Terms, Schedules, and Forms

An Illinois parenting plan must allocate significant decision-making responsibilities and set a parenting time schedule, and the court approves it only if it serves your child's best interests. Parents generally must file a proposed plan within 120 days of service or filing of the petition. Your first step: download the statewide Parenting Plan form, or use a guided tool, and start on the mandatory fields.

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TL;DR:

• The statewide form also requires an enforceable schedule, exchange and transportation rules, records access, communication terms, mediation provisions, and the child’s school enrollment address.
• Name exact exchange times, locations, drivers, late arrival procedures, and holiday rules; when parents live far apart, add travel costs, advance notice, and video calls.
• Assign decisions by category and specify consultation deadlines, written proposals, emergency consent, record access, and mediation before either parent returns to court.
• If parents disagree, each files a proposed plan, and courts generally order mediation unless impediments exist; an evidentiary hearing comes before judicial approval.
• The parent with most parenting time generally must give 60 days’ written notice of a move; courts weigh its effects on the child and family.

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• What does Illinois law require in a parenting plan?
• How should you structure parenting time?
• How do you allocate significant decision-making?
• What are the steps from filing to a court-approved plan?
• What should a plan say about relocation?
• How do you modify or enforce a parenting plan?
• What is the checklist for a court-ready plan?
• What I would prioritize when you draft
• How we help Illinois parents build judge-ready plans
• FAQ
• Sources

Section 602.10 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act sets the minimum contents. Judges expect to see each of these items addressed:

• Allocation of significant decision-making responsibilities
• A parenting time schedule, or a formula that can be enforced
• Mediation provisions for resolving future disputes over reallocation
• Access to the child's medical, school and extracurricular records
• A designation of the parent considered to have the majority of parenting time, for statutory purposes
• The child's school enrollment address
• Transportation and exchange arrangements
• Communication and electronic contact rules
• Right-of-first-refusal terms, if you want them
• Written notice rules for a change of residence, which call for 60 days' prior notice from the majority-time parent, with exceptions

The 120-day rule is the deadline most parents hear about first. A court can extend it for good cause, and it does not bite when the respondent never files an appearance, according to FindLaw's reproduction of the statute.

You do not have to invent a layout. The statewide Parenting Plan form, approved by the Illinois Supreme Court, has fields for parent and child information, decision-making by category, weekday, weekend, holiday and school-break scheduling, exchange logistics, first-refusal checkboxes, communication, relocation notice and how to change the plan. The circuit-court standardized forms suite lists the same approved form alongside the other divorce-with-children paperwork.

If you would rather answer questions than fill in a PDF, the free Easy Form from Illinois Legal Aid Online walks you through and prepares the court-accepted forms.

A schedule is only useful if two tired people can follow it on a Tuesday. Start from a template, then add the detail that prevents arguments.

Common patterns include:

• Alternating weeks: parents take turns having the child, with an exchange on the same day each week.
• 2-2-3 rotation: the child spends two days with one parent, two with the other, then a long weekend that alternates. It suits younger children who struggle with long separations.
• Unequal-time arrangements: one parent has weekdays during the school year, and the other has alternating weekends plus a midweek dinner.
• Consolidated summer blocks: one or two longer stretches in summer, often paired with a lighter school-year schedule.
• Holiday rotation: alternate holidays between parents from year to year.

Exchange mechanics are where plans succeed or fail. Name the exact time, the location (a parent's home or a neutral drop-off point), who drives, what happens when someone is late, and how you will record exchanges if you ever need to prove a pattern. A practitioner's write-up from Kogut Hartnett Kuhn notes that courts prioritize specifics and that vague plans tend to be rejected or breed future conflict.

Long distance changes the design. Use extended blocks, say who books and who pays for travel, require advance notice, and add video-call rules so the child stays connected during the school year. Long-distance orders such as the one in Brown v. Groothuis show how courts handle summer blocks and travel logistics.

Pro Tip: Convert any schedule you are considering into a percentage with our parenting-time calculator before you commit, so you can see how the arrangement translates into overnights.

Significant decision-making covers the big choices in a child's life: education, health care, religion and extracurricular activities. Illinois plans also commonly address non-emergency mental-health care. You can give both parents joint authority across the board, give one parent sole authority, or split it category by category. A common split is joint on education and medical, with one parent holding final say on extracurriculars.

Good drafting turns the allocation into a process:

• Set a notice window for non-emergency decisions, allowing enough time for the other parent to respond.
• Require consultation first, then a written proposal and written response.
• Name mediation as the step before court when you still disagree.
• State who may consent to emergency medical treatment and how the other parent is told as soon as practicable.
• Say which parent keeps the records and how the other gets access.

The court reviews all of this under the best-interests standard, so a plan that explains who decides what, and how, gives the judge less to question. Clear allocation also cuts down on return trips to court. If a parent is left guessing whether a new tutor or a therapist needs the other parent's sign-off, that gap becomes the next motion.

If cooperation is already thin, our guide to parallel parenting shows how to divide decisions so parents interact less.

The path is shorter than most parents expect when they agree, and longer when they do not.

1. File the petition. The 120-day clock for the proposed parenting plan starts with service or filing of the petition for allocation of parental responsibilities, as set out in Section 602.10.
2. Attempt agreement. If you agree, you submit one joint plan. If the respondent has not appeared, no plan is required unless the court orders one.
3. Go to mediation. Courts are to order mediation to help parents reach an agreement unless impediments exist, and the court decides how mediation costs are allocated.
4. File separate plans if needed. Without an agreed plan, each parent files a written plan of their own.
5. Attend the hearing. The court holds an evidentiary hearing and allocates parental responsibilities according to the child's best interests.
6. Receive the order. Parents are bound by the plan only once a judge approves it.

Filing fees, mediator rates and any hearing costs vary by county and by mediator, and we do not list fixed dollar amounts here. Ask the circuit clerk in your county for current fees, and ask whether you qualify for a fee waiver. Reading the statute before mediation helps you walk in knowing what the judge will look for.

Moves are one of the most contested events after separation, so settle the rules before anyone is packing. Under 750 ILCS 5/609.2, a court weighs factors including the reasons for the move, objections to it, the history and quality of each parent's relationship with the child, educational opportunities, extended family, the move's impact on the child, whether a reasonable allocation of parenting time can be fashioned, the child's wishes when appropriate, and how to minimize impairment of the parent-child relationship.

Cases such as In re Marriage of Lenczycki illustrate how courts weigh a parent's opportunity against harm to the other parent's bond. Treat that as an illustration of the analysis, not legal advice for your facts.

Put these items in the plan:

• A written notice period, consistent with the 60-day statutory notice for the majority-time parent
• Whether the move is permanent or temporary
• New address and contact details, when it is safe to share them
• A proposed revised parenting time schedule for after the move
• Who books and who pays for travel

Agreeing on the revised schedule in advance saves you from litigating it in a hurry later.

You can change a plan by agreement at any time, with court approval. If the other parent will not agree, you file a motion. The documents required can depend on your circumstances. Check the current requirements with Illinois Legal Aid Online before filing.

A typical modification runs like this:

1. Get a copy of your current parental responsibilities order.
2. Complete the Motion to Modify Parental Responsibilities and any affidavit the timing requires.
3. File with the circuit court clerk in the county where the order was entered, as the how-to guide describes.
4. Give notice and serve the other parent properly.
5. Request a hearing date and present the motion to the judge.

When the other parent is not following the plan, the court can enforce it. Illinois Legal Aid Online's enforcement guide explains that these orders can be enforced through the court, commonly by a petition for rule to show cause.

Pro Tip: Keep a dated log of missed exchanges, messages and attempts to resolve the problem. Bring a proposed order for the judge to sign at the end of the hearing.

Work through this list in order, matching each statutory item to a specific choice:

• Gather case details and each child's information.
• Choose decision-making allocation and write it category by category.
• Pick a schedule template and add exact exchange days, times and locations.
• Add holiday and school-break rules, using even and odd years or consolidated summer blocks.
• Write transportation and travel-cost rules.
• Add relocation notice language, including the 60-day rule where it applies.
• Include a mediation clause and any first-refusal terms.
• List contact details and school residency information.
• Confirm every required field is complete before you file.

The statewide PDF and the Illinois Legal Aid Online Easy Form, both linked above, are the approved starting points. Our custody schedule templates and clause library help you turn each checklist item into language, and our guide to a strong parenting plan shows which details cut conflict most.

Heather here. Most plans fail on logistics, not principles. Parents agree on the big picture, then fight for years over who drives, who pays for the flight and what "reasonable notice" meant. Spell those out. I would also write mediation in as the first stop for any disagreement, because a clause that sends you to a mediator before a judge protects both your budget and your child's peace. Finally, check every required field before filing. A plan with blanks invites questions you could have avoided.

— Heather

Drafting a full plan should not require your co-parent's cooperation at every step. With our custodial plan builder, you can draft a complete, Illinois-specific plan on your own, drawing on our clause library and custody schedule templates. Our plan evaluation helps you assess your parenting plan. Your documents and communication stay in one secure workspace, ready for mediation or court. We built it to cut the friction and delay that make this process expensive. See how it works, then start with a template or the calculator today.

This article is general information, not a substitute for advice from a qualified lawyer. Consult a qualified legal professional about your own circumstances before acting on anything here.

Can I voluntarily give up my parental rights?

Giving up parental rights is a separate legal process from setting a parenting plan, and a court must approve it. It does not automatically end a child support obligation. Speak with an Illinois family law attorney or legal aid office before taking that step.

How far can a parent move with joint custody in Illinois?

There is no single mileage limit in the sources we reviewed. The court applies the relocation factors in 750 ILCS 5/609.2 to the facts. Your parenting plan should also require written notice before any move.

How do I file for divorce in Illinois for free?

Illinois Legal Aid Online's Easy Form is free to use and prepares approved parenting plan forms. Ask the circuit clerk in your county about a fee waiver for filing costs.

What are the responsibilities of parents to their children?

Illinois uses "parental responsibilities" in place of "custody." They cover making important decisions for a child and spending time with them, as Illinois Legal Aid Online explains. A parenting plan puts those responsibilities in writing.

• Codes
• 750 ILCS 5/602.10
• Illinois Statewide Form - Approved - Divorce with Children - Parenting Plan 050718
• Parenting plan (Easy Form) | Illinois Legal Aid Online

• Parenting Plan Evaluator
• Free Custody Schedule Templates — 50/50 & More
• The Anatomy of a Strong Parenting Plan
• Evaluate Your Parenting Plan

Informational only, not legal advice. Review filing, approval and enforceability requirements with a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.