How the custody schedule calculator works
Pick a regular schedule, tell it which parent has the children in one week you know for sure, and it rolls the pattern forward and backward through the school year. Holidays and school breaks come from the holiday custody schedule page and replace the regular schedule on those days.
- Alternating weeks (7-7): one week with each parent, exchange on the same day each week. The simplest to follow; the children go a week without seeing the other parent.
- 2-2-3: short stretches, which suits young children; the weekdays change every week.
- 2-2-5-5: each parent always has the same weekdays, handy for activities, with alternating long weekends.
- 3-4-4-3: a middle ground with fewer exchanges than 2-2-3.
- Every other weekend: for plans where one parent has the children most of the time.
Overnights and custody percentage
The counter above the calendar shows how many overnights the children spend with each parent between September 1, 2026 and August 31, 2027, and the share each one gets. An overnight is counted for the parent who has the children at 11:30 PM.
Questions
How do I calculate custody percentage?
Count the overnights each parent has in a year and divide by 365. An alternating-weeks schedule gives each parent about 182 or 183 overnights, which is 50/50. Every other weekend from Friday to Sunday gives the weekend parent about 52 overnights, roughly 14%, before holidays are added. The counter above the calendar does this for your exact settings.
What is the difference between 2-2-3, 2-2-5-5 and 3-4-4-3?
2-2-3: two days with one parent, two with the other, then a three-day weekend, flipping every week. 2-2-5-5: each parent always has the same two weekdays and the weekends alternate. 3-4-4-3: three days with one parent and four with the other, then the reverse the next week. All three are 50/50 over two weeks.
Do holidays override the regular schedule?
In most parenting plans, yes: holiday and school-break time replaces the regular schedule, which picks up again afterwards. This calendar works that way. Untick the option to see the regular schedule alone.
Is this a legal document?
No. Your court order or signed parenting plan is what counts. This calculator only applies the settings you choose.