ABOUT THIS EPISODE
A parenting plan is more than a calendar. It determines how parents will make major decisions, where children will spend their time and how everyday parenting will work after a divorce.
In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Steve, Patty, Jimmy and Alexa break down what goes into a Georgia parenting plan, including legal custody, final decision-making authority, regular parenting schedules and the growing variety of 50/50 custody arrangements.
They explain the differences between week-on/week-off, 2-2-5-5 and 2-2-3 schedules, why some arrangements create more confusion than stability and how work schedules, school locations, commuting distances and a child’s age can affect what is practical.
The team also discusses why there may be no true “standard” parenting schedule and why parents should focus less on counting days and more on creating a plan that genuinely works for their children.
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards
02:09 – Is a parenting plan required in Georgia?
03:38 – The paperwork involved in a divorce with children
05:20 – Why self-represented parents often struggle with the process
08:13 – What a parenting plan actually covers
09:01 – Understanding legal custody
10:40 – Final decision-making authority
11:08 – The four major areas of parental decision-making
11:51 – Technology, smartphones and social media
12:45 – Dividing medical, educational and other decisions
13:42 – When parenting plans become too complicated
15:50 – Regular parenting time versus holiday parenting time
17:09 – What is considered a “standard” custody schedule?
17:28 – How parenting schedules have changed over time
18:36 – When judges favor 50/50 custody
20:48 – Why parenting schedules must fit real life
21:45 – Work schedules, commuting and distance between parents
23:16 – The trend toward expanded parenting time
23:36 – Why living near your co-parent can matter
25:28 – Different versions of 50/50 custody
25:36 – How a 2-2-5-5 schedule works
25:55 – How a 2-2-3 schedule works
27:21 – Week-on/week-off custody
27:41 – Parenting schedules for younger children
28:49 – Focusing on what is best for the child
29:54 – More parenting-plan topics still to come
🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.
🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis
🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/w-0pd0MJ_ko or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.
📩 Contact: pshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com
| (770) 939-1939
🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com
🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards
🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA
