Parenting plans—also known as custody agreements or custody and visitation agreements—are proposals submitted by parents for how issues involving children should be handled following a divorce or other proceeding in family court. The court will usually request the parents submit such a document proposing how conservatorship (decision-making), custody or possession, support, and other issues will be handled. The court may adopt some or all of these proposals and include them in the court’s order (divorce decree, child support and custody order), at which point the become legally enforceable.

In many states there is a standard possession order (SPO) that serves as the default terms for such matters, and as a useful starting point for parents who wish to modify it by agreement.

In New Hampshire, parenting plans are a crucial component of family law proceedings involving children. These plans outline how divorced or separated parents will share responsibilities and time with their children. New Hampshire law requires that parents submit a parenting plan in cases involving child custody and visitation. The plan should address decision-making authority (conservatorship), residential arrangements (custody), parenting time (visitation), child support, and other relevant issues. The court will review the proposed parenting plan and may adopt all or part of it into the final court order, which can include a divorce decree or a child custody and support order. Once incorporated into a court order, the terms of the parenting plan become legally enforceable. New Hampshire does not have a standard possession order (SPO) like some other states, but the state's statutes provide guidelines to help parents and the court establish a parenting plan that is in the best interests of the child.