Beyond the fundamental questions regarding child support and custody arrangements, there are numerous other details the court does not have to resolve. However, addressing them can save parents a great deal of misunderstanding and conflict in everyday life. Family law solicitors and mediators Andrea Vyskočilová and Michaela Radoušová share their advice on what is worth establishing together in advance.

The Essentials: Custody and Child Support

When separating, parents primarily need to address two core issues that the court will also be concerned with:

• How childcare arrangements will be structured

• How child support will be handled

Parents can reach an agreement on these matters themselves or leave the decision to the court.

What Else You Can Agree On

This is precisely where the scope for a broader parenting agreement begins. In addition to basic custody schedules and financial support, parents can set up practical rules in advance to make co-parenting smoother.

“There are dozens of other small details the court doesn’t need to settle, but they can be surprisingly important in daily life. Agree on everything you can. Just the process of reflecting on these points together is immensely valuable,” agree solicitors and mediators Andrea Vyskočilová and Michaela Radoušová.

Holidays, Special Occasions, and Weekends

A routine custody schedule might not fit during school holidays, public holidays, or other key dates. It is helpful to clarify in advance:

• Will you have a different schedule during school holidays, public holidays, etc.?

• Do you prefer a fixed routine, or do you leave room to renegotiate each year (to reflect new school timetables, changed activity schedules, etc.)?

Note: If you do not arrange a specific schedule for holiday periods, the regular routine will remain in place just as it is during the school term.

Court Rulings: Did You Know…?

Courts issue orders without a time limit (they remain valid until another order is made). However, parents can always mutually agree to depart from the court order, and their agreement takes precedence. If one parent begins to breach the agreement, they must either return to the court-ordered arrangement or initiate new court proceedings.

Extraordinary Expenses

Does the agreed child support cover all of your children's expenses? Or do you have a category of extraordinary costs that you will pay on top of standard child support and agree upon individually?

Examples include:

• School supplies at the start of the academic year

• Extracurricular activities, clubs, and sports

• Ski trips, summer camps, and training retreats

• Residential school trips and educational excursions (including international trips)

• Spectacles, orthodontic braces, and non-standard medical care

• Seasonal clothing, shoes, and sports kit

• Mobile phones, laptops, etc.

What to decide:

• Funding split (e.g. 50:50 or proportional to financial means)

• A spending threshold requiring prior approval from both parents (for instance, if an expense exceeds £70/2,000 CZK, prior agreement is required)

• Choosing a ratio other than 50:50 for expenses over a certain limit or for specific categories (e.g. father always pays for electronics, mother always pays for dance shoes)

Tip

Keeping a clear record of shared expenses can save a lot of arguments. An app where both parents can track payments and expense splits can be very helpful.

Child Illness

A child falling ill can easily disrupt normal routines. Having clarity beforehand helps avoid confusion:

• What happens if the child falls ill while in the care of one parent? Will they remain there until they recover, or will handovers continue as planned?

• Will you agree on flexible swaps in relation to carer's leave?

“During mediation, we always advise parents to use common sense and consider how the child actually feels. If they have a 39 °C fever on their first day of antibiotics, there is no reason to transport them just because it’s the other parent's turn. However, once their condition improves after a few days of care, the other parent can easily take over. A child’s illness is not the time to strictly enforce rules—the priority must always be what is best for the child in that moment,” explains Michaela Radoušová.

Carer’s Allowance / Leave: Did You Know…?

Parents taking official time off to care for a sick child can switch during the care period—for example, one parent starts and the other takes over later. However, the total entitlement period does not increase, and specific administrative steps with employers and authorities must be followed.

Child’s Registered Address

It is also wise to agree on the child’s official primary residence. This is particularly relevant for school catchment areas and admissions, especially where school places are limited.

• Where will the child’s official primary address be registered?

• What process will you follow if it needs to be changed in the future?

Tax Relief and Official Administrative Matters

Some issues don't come to mind immediately during a separation, but they can easily become a source of unnecessary disputes later on.

• Who will claim the child tax relief/allowance? Or will you rotate annually or divide allowances if you have multiple children?

• How will you handle communication with authorities, and how will school reports or medical updates be shared between you?

Tip

If you have multiple children, rotating tax relief eligibility annually across all children can sometimes be more financially advantageous than splitting the children between parents, due to how tiered tax allowances work.

Parent-to-Parent Communication

A clear communication channel prevents unnecessary misunderstandings. Consider:

• How will you share updates (in person, by email, via a co-parenting app)?

• How will unexpected situations be handled (e.g. illness or business trips)?

• How far in advance must schedule changes be requested?

• How quickly are you expected to respond to messages from the other parent?

• Will any information be passed through the children?

• Will you verify statements made by the children before reacting?

Tip

Finding it difficult to reach an agreement with your former partner? Reach out to an experienced mediator or family support organisation.

What About Everyday Life?

Finally, there are the minor details that often cause friction in daily routines—not only in separated households. You may want to consider:

• Joint parenting rules (e.g. bedtimes, screen time limits)

• Protocols when one parent is running late or unavailable

• Rules regarding international travel with the child

• The role and involvement of grandparents

• Sleepovers at friends' houses

• Who is the primary contact if a parent cannot provide care during their allocated time—the other parent or a third party?

How to Put This into Practice

You can draft a parenting agreement yourselves, though doing so with the help of a solicitor or mediator is highly recommended. Formal parenting plan templates (such as those provided by judicial or legal authorities) offer a structured framework to ensure nothing is missed.

If you have a written agreement, you can present it to the court. While not mandatory, it can streamline proceedings and clearly signal to the judge what has been mutually settled. The court may then incorporate parts of the agreement into the binding terms of its judgment or mention the remaining details in its supporting statement.

Alternatively, the agreement can remain an informal, private arrangement between both parents. Simply discussing these key questions and agreeing on solutions in advance can prevent countless future conflicts.

What If Your Needs Change Over Time?

No parenting plan is set in stone. Life does not run on a rigid schedule, and parents must adapt as children grow and their needs evolve.

The fact that everything isn't perfect today doesn't mean it won't adapt tomorrow. Furthermore, a parent's ability to communicate and respond flexibility to changing circumstances is often far more important for a child than a flawless schedule on paper.

“In mediation, we often remind parents that they would have to negotiate changes and rebalance responsibilities continuously even in an intact family,” concludes solicitor and mediator Andrea Vyskočilová.

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