Peace Family Agreements
A practical guide to parenting arrangements.
Consider schedules, communication and changes as children grow. Use the guide to prepare questions about arrangements for your family.
Hailee Penno, limited licensee.
Licensed by the Law Society of Saskatchewan for defined family-law services.
Everyday arrangements
A plan for your family's routines.
Use the guide to prepare questions about schedules, communication and decisions as children grow.
What is a parenting plan?
A parenting plan is a written agreement that sets out how you and your co-parent will handle day-to-day parenting, major decisions, and how you’ll communicate. It covers schedules, parenting-time arrangements, decision-making responsibility, support calculations, and how you’ll handle changes or differences in the future.
A clear parenting plan reduces confusion and conflict. It gives children certainty and helps both parents focus on what matters: raising healthy, stable kids.
What a parenting plan covers
Parenting Time & Schedule
A clear, practical parenting-time arrangement. Who has the children when? Weekdays, weekends, holidays, and summer, spelled out clearly.
Decision-Making
Who decides on education, healthcare, religious upbringing, and major expenses? Joint decision-making, sole responsibility, or a combination.
Child Support
Clear support amounts based on income guidelines. Both parents contribute to raising children.
Communication
How will parents stay in touch? Email, text, in-person? Guidelines for respectful co-parenting communication.
Changes & Differences
How will you handle changes to the plan? What if you don’t see eye to eye? Clear procedures reduce future conflict.
Children’s Relationships
Both parents’ important relationships with their children are protected and supported.
Why a written parenting plan matters
For children: Clarity, stability, and knowing both parents remain committed to their wellbeing and development.
For parents: Clear expectations, fewer conflicts, lower stress, and the ability to co-parent effectively even after separation.
How child support works in Saskatchewan
Child support follows the Federal Child Support Guidelines. The applicable child-support table amount is generally the starting point, subject to the circumstances and applicable law.
The table amount
The table lookup uses income, province and the number of children. Determining income and the final obligation may require legal analysis. The federal tables were last updated on October 1, 2025.
Section 7 expenses
Qualifying expenses require attention to necessity and reasonableness, the nature of the expense and family circumstances. Sharing generally reflects incomes after the child’s contribution, with subsidies, benefits and relevant tax treatment considered. Read section 7.
Parenting time matters
Where each parent exercises at least 40% of parenting time, section 9 considers table amounts, increased costs and the circumstances of each parent and child. The result is not an automatic subtraction of two table amounts.
Use Justice Canada's official child support lookup. The lookup gives a base table amount. Your circumstances may require a fuller analysis.
Common parenting schedules
There is no single right schedule. The best one fits your children's ages, school, and both parents' lives. A few patterns families use:
Week on, week off
Children spend one full week with each parent. Simple to track and often a good fit for school-aged kids who handle longer stretches well.
2-2-3 rotation
Two days with one parent, two with the other, then a three-day weekend that alternates. Frequent contact, often suited to younger children.
Alternating weekends plus midweek
One parent has the weekday base, with the other taking alternating weekends and a midweek visit. Common when work schedules differ.
The legal touchstone is the best interests of the child. In Saskatchewan, parenting decisions are guided by what supports each child's wellbeing, safety, and stability, not by what is convenient for either parent. A clear written plan that reflects that standard is easier to live by and easier to adjust as children grow.
Common questions about parenting plans
How is a parenting plan formalized?
The legal effect depends on the terms, circumstances and any applicable signing or court requirements. Hailee explains the steps for your document.
At what age can a child decide where to live?
There is no fixed age in Saskatchewan. A child's views are considered in light of their age and maturity, but the decision rests on the child's best interests overall, not on a single birthday.
Can a parenting plan be changed later?
Yes. Plans can be updated by agreement, and they often are as children grow or circumstances change. Building a simple change process into the plan from the start saves friction later.
Does child support have to be included?
For a complete plan, yes. Settling support alongside parenting time keeps everything in one clear agreement and avoids gaps.
What if we cannot agree on the schedule?
Unresolved terms do not by themselves rule out advice or negotiation. Hailee assesses whether the work is appropriate and safe within her licensed scope. A separate neutral mediator may help where appropriate. Courtroom representation requires a lawyer.
This page is general information about Saskatchewan and is not legal advice.
Have a question about this guide?
The guide is available above without an email request. You can send an optional enquiry to Hailee about your next step.