The Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines (IPTG) provide the fundamental structure for nearly every court order regarding custody and parenting time in our state. The law starts with a clear belief: your child benefits most from having frequent, meaningful and continuing contact with both parents.
Courts presume this guideline is the correct baseline for your family. However, the IPTG is only the starting point. Understanding its key provisions helps you create a stable, predictable co-parenting relationship.
The standard schedule: Alternating time
The standard IPTG schedule provides a minimum amount of time for the parent who does not have primary physical custody. For children age three and older, this usually involves alternating weekends (Friday 6 p.m. to Sunday 6 p.m.) and one scheduled evening during the week for up to four hours.
Indiana’s guidelines serve as the floor, not the ceiling, of your time with your children. If you and your former spouse can cooperate, you are always free to agree to more time than the guidelines require. Flexibility beyond the minimum is always an option that benefits your children.
Handling special days: Holidays and summer
The guidelines offer predictable rules for times that often cause conflict. The IPTG uses an alternating holiday schedule for major days like Christmas and Thanksgiving. If you have your children on a holiday in one year, and the other parent will have them the following year. Key points to remember include:
- The holiday schedule always takes priority over the regular weekend schedule.
- For an extended summer break for children five and older, the default provision allows the noncustodial parent to have one-half of the summer vacation, which can be consecutive or split into two segments. For children aged three through four, the entitlement is up to four nonconsecutive weeks.
- The parent who wants to exercise this extended summer time (for children five and older) must notify the other parent of their chosen dates by April 1 of each year.
These rules provide a clear path for resolving any disagreements between parents.
Communication is key
Effective co-parenting requires you both to maintain a professional standard of communication. You must promptly and respectfully communicate with your former spouse, which includes sharing necessary changes to your home or work contact information, including phone and email addresses, in writing.
You must also remember a critical rule: The IPTG stipulates that a child shall not be used to exchange documents or financial information between parents. Keeping communication direct, reasonable and prompt ensures you insulate your children from adult conflicts.
Stability for your children
Following the IPTG gives your children the predictability they need after a separation. While the guidelines offer a standard model, many high net worth families have complex schedules or unique family needs.
When the standard framework may not fully address your situation, skilled guidance by an experienced child custody attorney can be invaluable in tailoring, enforcing, or modifying a detailed parenting plan that truly works for your family.
