Can I use these clauses to generate a child custody agreement?

You can use the clauses as starting points, then customise them in the main child custody agreement generator linked from this clause library page.

What should a child arrangements document cover?

Child arrangements usually cover where a child lives, when they spend time with each parent, and how practical parenting decisions are managed.

Can the clause library include school holiday and travel clauses?

Yes. Holiday clauses can set out school holiday schedules, Christmas, birthdays, religious holidays, travel notice and passport arrangements.

Can handover arrangements be included in the agreement?

Yes. Handovers can be addressed by specifying times, locations, responsible adults, transport duties and what happens if a parent is late.

Can the clauses cover parental communication and decision-making?

Yes. Clauses can describe how parents share information, make decisions, manage emergencies and communicate about the child’s welfare.

What is the difference between child custody and child arrangements in the UK?

The key terms are “child arrangements”, “Child Arrangements Order”, “spending time with”, and “living with”. “Custody” is still commonly searched but is not the usual legal term in England and Wales.

Do I need a solicitor to use child arrangements clauses?

Legal advice is not always required, but it is recommended if there is conflict, safeguarding concern, relocation, international travel or uncertainty about legal rights.

What does the court consider when reviewing child arrangements?

The court’s main consideration is the child’s welfare. Any clause should be practical, child-focused and in the child’s best interests.

Can child arrangements be changed later?

Yes. Parents can agree changes informally, but if there is a court order, formal variation may be needed to make the changes legally enforceable.

What makes a good child arrangements clause?

A well-drafted clause is clear, specific, practical and focused on the child’s needs, avoiding vague wording that may cause disputes.

EN-GB>Family>Child Arrangements Order>United Kingdom Child Arrangements Clauses

United Kingdom Child Arrangements Clause Library

Created: 8 Jun 2026

Explore practical clause examples for child arrangements in the United Kingdom. This dataset helps you compare wording, understand common provisions, and draft more confidently alongside our AI Generated British Child Arrangements Order resources.

Clause Name	Purpose	Drafting Complexity	Relevant Age Group	Practical Notes
Living arrangements
Term-Time Living Arrangements	Sets where the child lives during the ordinary school week.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Use exact weekdays, overnight rules and collection times to avoid disputes.
Primary Home Designation	Identifies the child's main home for administration and stability.	Medium	Any age group	Useful for school, GP, benefits and correspondence, but avoid language that undermines shared care.
Shared Care Pattern	Records a recurring division of care between both parents.	Medium	Any age group	Check school travel, clubs, homework and the child's need for routine.
Infant Routine Arrangements	Sets age-appropriate care around feeding, naps and short separations.	High	Infants and toddlers	Include gradual increases if safe and consistent with the child's attachment and routine.
Phased Overnight Contact	Introduces overnight stays gradually over a defined period.	High	Infants and toddlers Primary school age	Specify triggers, review dates and what happens if a stage is missed.
Sibling Arrangements	Keeps siblings together or explains different schedules where needed.	Medium	Any age group	Consider half-siblings, step-siblings, school locations and each child's individual needs.
Bedroom And Sleeping Arrangements	Confirms suitable sleeping arrangements in each home.	Low	Any age group	Avoid intrusive detail unless space, safeguarding or privacy is a real concern.
Belongings Between Homes	Sets how clothes, school items and comfort objects move between homes.	Low	Any age group	State who washes, replaces and returns essential items.
Right Of First Refusal For Childcare	Gives the other parent the option to care for the child before third-party childcare.	Medium	Any age group	Define the minimum absence, response time and exceptions for regular childcare.
Domestic Relocation Notice	Requires notice before a parent moves home with potential impact on arrangements.	High	Any age group	Include notice period, school impact and how travel costs will be discussed.
No Removal From The Jurisdiction	Confirms limits on taking the child out of the UK where an order applies.	High	Any age group	Section 13 Children Act 1989 restricts changing surname or removing a child from the UK when a child arrangements order regulates living arrangements, subject to exceptions.
Contact schedule
Weekday Contact Schedule	Sets regular weekday time with the non-resident or other parent.	Low	Any age group	Include start and end times, meals, homework and transport.
Weekend Contact Schedule	Sets recurring weekend contact or residence blocks.	Low	Any age group	Define whether weekends begin after school, Friday evening or Saturday morning.
Alternating Weekends	Creates a simple every-other-weekend arrangement.	Low	Any age group	State how odd weekends, bank holidays and missed weekends are handled.
Midweek Overnight Stay	Adds a regular overnight stay during the school week.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Check school commute, uniform, homework and morning punctuality.
After-School Contact	Provides shorter contact after school without an overnight stay.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	Specify pickup point, dinner, activities and return time.
Supervised Contact	Allows contact to take place with an agreed supervisor present.	High	Any age group	Name the supervisor, venue, duration and conditions for moving to unsupervised contact.
Contact Centre Arrangements	Sets contact at a child contact centre where neutral support is needed.	High	Any age group	Confirm referral, fees, waiting lists, reports and whether contact is supported or supervised.
Indirect Contact	Provides contact by letters, cards, gifts, calls or messages where direct contact is limited.	Medium	Any age group	Set frequency, permitted methods and whether messages are screened.
Missed Contact And Make-Up Time	Explains whether and how missed time will be rearranged.	Medium	Any age group	Distinguish illness, emergencies, parental choice and unavoidable events.
Punctuality And Waiting Time	Sets expectations for arriving on time and what happens after delay.	Low	Any age group	Include a grace period and required update by text or parenting app.
Special Days Override	States when birthdays, holidays or religious events override the usual schedule.	Medium	Any age group	Create a clear order of priority to prevent clashes.
School holidays
Christmas Holiday Arrangements	Allocates Christmas school holiday time between parents.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Specify Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and alternating years.
Easter Holiday Arrangements	Divides Easter school holidays or religious observance time.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	State whether Good Friday and Easter Monday follow holiday or bank holiday rules.
Summer Holiday Blocks	Divides the long summer holiday into agreed care blocks.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Include booking deadlines, maximum consecutive nights and travel notice.
Half-Term Holiday Split	Allocates October, February and May half-term periods.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	Use school calendar dates rather than generic week numbers.
Inset And Training Days	Sets care arrangements when school is closed for staff training.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	Decide whether the parent with the adjoining night or work availability takes priority.
Bank Holiday Arrangements	Allocates bank holiday Mondays and long weekends.	Low	Any age group	Clarify whether bank holidays extend weekend contact or follow the normal pattern.
Parent Birthday Contact	Allows the child to spend time with a parent on that parent's birthday.	Low	Any age group	Limit duration on school nights and define if it overrides holidays.
Child Birthday Arrangements	Sets how the child's birthday is shared or alternated.	Medium	Any age group	Consider parties, school day contact, siblings and alternating years.
Mother's Day And Father's Day	Allocates annual parenting days regardless of the normal pattern.	Low	Any age group	State start and end times and how same-sex or non-traditional families will handle the clause.
Religious And Cultural Festivals	Allocates important religious or cultural days such as Eid, Diwali, Hanukkah or Lunar New Year.	Medium	Any age group	Use dates published by the relevant community or agree confirmation deadlines each year.
Holiday Booking Deadline	Requires parents to request and confirm holiday dates by a set deadline.	Medium	Any age group	Include tie-break rules if both parents request the same period.
Holiday Childcare Costs	Allocates responsibility for holiday clubs or childcare during school holidays.	Medium	Primary school age	Separate agreed childcare costs from child maintenance issues.
Travel and handovers
Ordinary Handover Location	Identifies where routine handovers will take place.	Low	Any age group	Use school, nursery or a neutral public place if direct handover is tense.
School Gate Handover	Uses school drop-off or collection as the handover point.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	Confirm school has accurate collection permissions and emergency contacts.
Third-Party Handover	Allows a named adult to collect or return the child.	Medium	Any age group	Name authorised adults and include ID, notice and safeguarding limits.
No-Contact Handover	Prevents parents needing direct face-to-face interaction at handover.	High	Any age group	Important where conflict, injunctions or safeguarding concerns exist.
Transport Responsibility	States who collects, returns and pays routine travel costs.	Medium	Any age group	Consider distance, driving ability, public transport and fuel costs.
Car Seats And Travel Safety	Requires safe and lawful transport for the child.	Low	Infants and toddlers Primary school age	Children must normally use an appropriate child car seat until 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first.
Passport Holding And Access	Sets who holds the child's passport and how it is shared for travel.	High	Any age group	Include notice, return date, copy documents and consent requirements.
International Travel Consent	Sets consent and information requirements before taking the child abroad.	High	Any age group	Taking a child abroad without permission from everyone with parental responsibility may be child abduction unless a court order permits it.
Holiday Travel Itinerary	Requires travel details before domestic or overseas trips.	Medium	Any age group	Include destination, accommodation, flights, emergency contact and insurance details.
Late Return From Travel	Sets what happens if travel disruption delays return.	Medium	Any age group	Require prompt updates and a plan for school or childcare the next day.
Communication
Parent Communication Method	Sets the approved method for routine communication between parents.	Low	Any age group	Use email or a parenting app if texts escalate conflict.
Emergency Communication	Requires immediate contact about urgent health, safety or welfare issues.	Low	Any age group	List phone numbers and when calls are permitted despite routine written-only communication.
Child Phone And Video Contact	Allows the child to speak with the other parent while away from them.	Medium	Any age group	Keep calls age-appropriate and avoid monitoring unless safeguarding requires it.
Child Mobile Phone Use	Sets rules for the child's phone use across both homes.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Cover bedtime, school rules, parental controls and contact privacy.
Information Sharing Between Parents	Requires parents to share important information about the child.	Medium	Any age group	Include school reports, medical letters, activities, incidents and contact details.
Respectful Parent Communication	Sets boundaries for civil, child-focused communication.	Low	Any age group	Ban insults, threats, excessive messages and using the child as messenger.
Photos And Social Media	Sets rules for posting the child's images or personal details online.	Medium	Any age group	Consider privacy, school safeguarding rules and the child's views if old enough.
No Denigration Of The Other Parent	Discourages negative comments about the other parent in front of the child.	Low	Any age group	Keep wording child-focused and avoid making ordinary disagreement unenforceable.
Privacy Of Child Communications	Protects reasonable privacy when the child communicates with each parent.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Allow supervision only where age, safety or welfare requires it.
Education
School Choice And Applications	Sets how parents will decide school applications and changes.	High	Primary school age Secondary school age	Parents with parental responsibility should be consulted on major education decisions.
Nursery And Early Years Arrangements	Covers nursery selection, attendance days and early years communication.	Medium	Infants and toddlers	Align nursery days with work patterns, funding and handovers.
School Communications Access	Ensures both parents receive school reports, emails and notices.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	Both parents should register contact details with the school where appropriate.
Parents' Evenings And School Events	Sets attendance and information sharing for school events.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	Use separate appointments if joint attendance would cause conflict.
Homework And Study Support	Allocates responsibility for homework during each parent's care time.	Low	Primary school age Secondary school age	Ensure books, devices and deadlines travel between homes.
Extracurricular Activities	Covers clubs, sport, music, tutoring and weekend activities.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Agree cost, transport and whether activities can interfere with contact time.
School Trips And Consent Forms	Sets responsibility for consent, payment and documents for school trips.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Residential or overseas trips may need wider consent and passport coordination.
Special Educational Needs Support	Coordinates support for a child with SEN or an EHC plan.	High	Primary school age Secondary school age	Include meetings, reports, therapy, school liaison and implementation across both homes.
Exam Period Arrangements	Adjusts routines during SATs, GCSEs, A-levels or other exams.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Prioritise sleep, revision space, transport and reduced conflict.
School Attendance And Absence	Requires parents to support school attendance and report absences properly.	Medium	Primary school age Secondary school age	Parents must secure suitable full-time education for children of compulsory school age.
Healthcare
GP And Dentist Registration	Identifies the child's healthcare providers and access to appointments.	Low	Any age group	Keep both parents listed for appropriate contact and emergency information.
Routine Medical Decisions	Allows day-to-day healthcare decisions during each parent's care time.	Medium	Any age group	Major decisions should be discussed with all persons with parental responsibility unless urgent.
Emergency Medical Treatment	Authorises urgent action and immediate notification in medical emergencies.	Medium	Any age group	Do not delay emergency treatment while seeking parental agreement.
Medication Handover	Ensures medicine, dosage instructions and devices move with the child.	Low	Any age group	Use written dosage records for inhalers, EpiPens, antibiotics or repeat medication.
Allergies And Health Alerts	Records allergies, triggers, emergency plans and prohibited foods or substances.	Medium	Any age group	Ensure schools, carers and relatives have the same written plan.
Vaccinations And Immunisations	Sets how parents discuss and record vaccination decisions.	High	Infants and toddlers Primary school age Secondary school age	Use NHS schedules and seek medical advice if parents disagree.
Mental Health And Counselling Support	Coordinates counselling, CAMHS referrals or wellbeing support.	High	Primary school age Secondary school age	Consider consent, confidentiality, safeguarding and information sharing.
Disability And Care Plan	Coordinates care needs, equipment, therapy and routines for a disabled child.	High	Any age group	Include equipment transfer, respite, professional appointments and accessibility of both homes.
Dental And Optical Care	Allocates responsibility for routine dental and eye appointments.	Low	Any age group	Share appointment dates, prescriptions, glasses and retainers between homes.
Private Healthcare Costs	Allocates agreed private medical, dental or therapy costs.	Medium	Any age group	Require prior written agreement except genuine emergencies.
Review and variation
Annual Review Meeting	Creates a yearly review of whether arrangements still work.	Low	Any age group	Set a month, agenda and method for recording agreed changes.
School Transition Review	Reviews arrangements when the child starts nursery, primary or secondary school.	Medium	Infants and toddlers Primary school age Secondary school age	Review travel, bedtime, homework, clubs and term-time handovers.
Age-Based Step-Up Arrangements	Changes contact or overnight arrangements as the child gets older.	High	Infants and toddlers Primary school age	Use clear dates or milestones and include safeguards if the transition is not working.
Mediation Before Court Application	Encourages mediation before applying to court to vary arrangements.	Medium	Any age group	A MIAM is usually required before many private law children applications, unless an exemption applies.
Written Variation Requirement	Requires changes to be recorded in writing before being relied on.	Medium	Any age group	If there is a court order, informal agreement may not formally vary the order.
Temporary Swaps And One-Off Changes	Allows parents to agree occasional timetable changes without altering the main pattern.	Low	Any age group	Record date, replacement time and that the usual schedule resumes afterward.
Work Pattern Change Review	Reviews arrangements if a parent's shifts, travel or working hours materially change.	Medium	Any age group	Require prompt notice and interim arrangements for childcare and school runs.
Child's Wishes Review	Provides a process for considering the child's views as they mature.	High	Primary school age Secondary school age	The welfare checklist includes the child's wishes and feelings, considered in light of age and understanding.
Safeguarding Trigger Review	Requires urgent review if safety, domestic abuse or welfare concerns arise.	High	Any age group	Do not rely on private drafting where immediate child protection or domestic abuse risk requires professional advice or emergency help.
Existing Court Order Compliance	Confirms the agreement must not conflict with an existing Child Arrangements Order.	High	Any age group	A section 8 Child Arrangements Order regulates with whom a child lives, spends time or otherwise has contact.

What Clauses Should A UK Child Arrangements Agreement Usually Cover?

A strong child arrangements document normally needs more than a basic weekly timetable. The clause library shows that parents often need separate provisions for term-time living arrangements, school holidays, handover logistics, communication, education, healthcare and review arrangements. This helps reduce ambiguity about day-to-day care and supports the welfare-focused approach used by family courts in England and Wales under the Children Act 1989.

Which Clauses Need The Most Careful Drafting?

Clauses involving relocation, international travel, medical consent, special educational needs, safeguarding and variation of court orders are usually higher complexity. These clauses can affect parental responsibility, passports, schooling, healthcare decisions or compliance with an existing Child Arrangements Order, so vague wording can create practical and legal risk.

How Should Parents Handle Holidays And Handovers?

The dataset highlights that holiday clauses should identify dates, times, priority rules and booking deadlines, while handover clauses should specify location, punctuality, items to bring and fallback arrangements. This is particularly important where parents have different work patterns, live far apart, or need neutral handovers because direct contact is difficult.

When Should Child Arrangements Be Reviewed?

Review clauses are especially useful at predictable transition points, such as starting nursery, primary school, secondary school, GCSE years or when a parent changes work patterns. A review clause cannot override a court order, but it can create a structured process for discussion, mediation or application to vary arrangements if needed.

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FAQs

What is a United Kingdom Child Arrangements Clause Library?

A United Kingdom Child Arrangements Clause Library is a collection of sample clauses used to help draft child custody and parenting arrangements in England and Wales, including living arrangements, contact, holidays and decision-making.

How can this clause library help with a Child Arrangements Order?

What clauses are commonly included in a child arrangements agreement?

Is this clause library suitable for UK child arrangements?

Is a child arrangements agreement legally binding?

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