Parenting Plan Expertise for Divorce Mediation in Oregon

Last Updated: June 8, 2026

When most people say "parenting plan," they are thinking solely of a parenting time schedule, but Oregon law (ORS 107.102) allows parenting plans to have much richer details. I wrote my 78-point Parenting and Custody Toolkit (PACT) to help my clients articulate provisions to include in their parenting plans to make their post-divorce lives smoother and their co-parenting more harmonious.

Whatever you stipulate in the parenting plan included in your Marital Settlement Agreement becomes part of the court order. Whatever you leave out will remain a future discussion between you and the other parent, with no guarantee of reaching common ground. With PACT, I have brought together in one resource two years of research and 21 years of working with families.

Detailed Parenting Plans That Don't Fall Short

I draft comprehensive plans that meet the requirements of the Circuit Court and also include dozens of optional provisions that I will suggest in your mediation sessions.

ORS 107.102 lists nine categories of decisions that can go into a parenting plan:

• Residential schedule;

• Holiday, birthday and vacation planning;

• Weekends, including holidays, and school in-service days preceding or following weekends;

• Decision-making and responsibility;

• Information sharing and access;

• Relocation of parents;

• Telephone access;

• Transportation; and

• Methods for resolving disputes;

The statute is clear that the provisions it enumerates are not the only ones that can be put into the plan. Many divorcing parties make do with only a schedule. Worse yet, most mediators allow it to happen.

Meeting the bare minimum requirements of the law is not enough for true, long-term success. I reassure clients that they can have a detailed parenting plan without micromanaging each other's lives.

My Direct Experience

My suggestions for your parenting plan come not only from expertise but also from experience. Over the past 21 years, I have interacted with hundreds of families and have seen what works and what does not.

I have kept in contact with the majority of my clients long after mediation was completed. Some of the clients' children were toddlers when I worked with the family are now college graduates in their 20s. Through those direct experiences, I have gotten important feedback that has improved, case by case, the experience of future clients.

A comprehensive parenting plan comes from understanding the individuals who will be participating in it. For 21 years, I have invited pre-teen, teen, and young adult children of my mediation clients to have no-cost, confidential meetings with me. The primary purpose is to give adolescents a voice in the process and a safe setting in which to share concerns and ask questions.

I've remained in contact with many client families long after mediation has concluded. Through those extended relationships, I have directly observed the long arc of the co-parenting relationship.

Next Steps for Future Clarity and Peace of Mind

When you choose to mediate your divorce with me, you are selecting the law-degreed mediator who has more expertise and direct experience with teens and preteens than any other mediator in Oregon. Further, I am the only one who has seven years of experience as an elementary school and secondary school educator before I began to practice mediation.

I will craft your parenting plan with a level of detail that allows you to complete the mediation process with substantial predictability about the future. If you'd like to discuss how mediation can assist you in creating a detailed parenting plan, please contact me to schedule a consultation.

Matthew House J.D. | Divorce Mediation
3800 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Suite 271
Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 643-5284
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Matthew House's practice is neutral, limited to divorce mediation and financial analysis. He holds a law degree but is not a member of the Oregon State Bar. No information provided on 503.legal constitutes legal advice. The use of this website does not form a mediator-client relationship.

© 2026 by Matthew House. All rights reserved.