A. General Principles

1. What is your vision for a successful outcome? If you could see down the road 6 months, 1 year or 5 years, what can you envision for your family?
2. How can you make this work? What do you need to do in order to bring this vision to reality?
3. What do you need for support to uphold the plan? What is likely to go wrong? What do you need to stay on track and honour your commitments?

B. Legal Definitions or Parameters

What do your lawyers or any court orders say?

C. What is the expected life span of this plan?

D. Communication

1.  Daily communication: email, phone, face‐to‐face, log book
2. Parent meetings: when, where, how often
3. Conflict Resolution: who will help, how, who will initiate

E. Parenting Decisions

1.  Medical/Dental
2. Education
3. Religion
4. Living arrangements
5. Mobility
6. Other

F. Daily Living Decisions

1. Schedules
2. Children’s Activities:
   a. Parent Work Schedules
   b. Children’s Activity Schedules
   c. Professional Days
   d. Traditional Holidays
   e. Statutory Holidays
   f. Special Days (Mother’s/Father’s Day, birthdays)
3. New Partners
4. Extended Family
5. Travel
6. Child Care
7. Clothing
8. Personal Care
9. Pets
10. Other

* This list has drawn heavily from the work of Peggy English, 2001