What it means
A parenting plan is a voluntary, written and signed agreement between parents covering arrangements for their children, such as where the children live, the time they spend with each parent, and how decisions are made. Under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), a parenting plan is not legally enforceable, but a court can take it into account in later proceedings. Parenting plans suit parents who can cooperate and want flexibility to update arrangements as children grow. If you want a binding, enforceable arrangement, you generally need parenting orders or consent orders instead.
How it's used
After mediation, Sam and Priya signed a parenting plan setting out a week-about routine and how they would share school holidays.