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Free custody schedule builder and parenting time calculator
Build your custody schedule: pick a common 50/50 or every-other-weekend schedule, or tap each night of a two-week pattern. See how many overnights each parent has in a year, and the percentage. Free, no signup, and nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Count the overnights in your schedule
Arithmetic only. It doesn't apply any state's rules or work out child support.
Overnights in a year
Based on 365 nights. A real calendar year can differ by a night or two, depending on the day the year starts and on leap years.
Keep a record of the time that actually happens
A schedule on paper and the nights that really happen are often different. These free templates help you write it down as it goes:
- Exchange log (PDF) or spreadsheet: date, time, place and what happened at each handoff.
- Holiday schedule worksheet (PDF): who has which holiday, year by year.
Custody Commander keeps your dated notes, evidence and messages in one place, and Full Suite builds a timeline from them. Start free, no card; Full Suite has a 7-day free trial.
Start free, no cardHow it works
The common schedules, night by night
The calculator repeats a two-week pattern across the year, then adds or removes the nights you move for holidays or summer. Here is how each preset is laid out, starting on a Monday.
- Alternating weeks (7-7). One week with each parent. 7 of 14 nights each, about 50%.
- 2-2-3. Two nights, two nights, then three, and the order flips the next week. 7 of 14 nights each.
- 2-2-5-5. Each parent has the same two weeknights every week, and the weekends alternate. 7 of 14 nights each.
- 3-4-4-3. Three nights then four, then four then three. 7 of 14 nights each.
- Every other weekend. Friday and Saturday nights every second week: 2 of 14 nights, about 14%. Adding Sunday night makes it 3 of 14, about 21%.
- Every other weekend + a midweek overnight. The weekend plus one weeknight each week: 4 of 14 nights, about 29%.
If your schedule doesn't match a preset, choose Custom and tap each night. The calculator only counts overnights. It doesn't count daytime visits, school hours or phone calls.
What it will and won't tell you
It counts nights. It won't tell you which schedule to ask for, how your state counts parenting time, what a percentage means for child support, or how a judge might decide. States count time in different ways, and your state's law decides what the numbers mean. For questions about your case, talk to a licensed attorney where you live.
Common questions
Parenting time calculator FAQ
Can I use this as a free custody schedule maker?
Yes, as a free planning tool for a regular two-week pattern. Pick a 50/50 schedule (alternating weeks, 2-2-3, 2-2-5-5 or 3-4-4-3) or an every-other-weekend schedule, then tap any night to switch who has the children and build your own pattern. It shows the two weeks and each parent's overnights and percentage for the year. The count is for your own planning only: it is not a legal decision about custody or parenting time, and it is not a child support figure. It doesn't make a printable calendar, and it doesn't tell you which schedule to choose: that depends on your family and your state's law.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a calculator: it counts the overnights in the schedule you enter. It won't tell you which schedule to ask for, what to file, or how a court might decide. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney where you live.
Does every state count parenting time by overnights?
No. States and courts count parenting time in different ways. Some count overnights, some count hours or days, and some count certain kinds of time differently. This calculator counts overnights only. Your state's law decides how time is counted and what a percentage means.
Does it work out child support?
No. Some child support guidelines use parenting time as one input, but each state's formula is different and uses many other numbers. This tool doesn't calculate support. Your state's child support agency or a licensed attorney can explain how your state does it.
Is anything I enter saved or sent?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to us or saved. If you reload the page, it starts over.
How do I count holidays and summer?
Enter the nights that move away from the regular pattern. Count only the nights that change hands. With alternating weeks, two summer weeks in a row with the other parent moves about 7 nights to them, because one of those weeks was already theirs. The holiday schedule worksheet in our free templates can help you list who has which nights.
Why is my number a night or two off from a calendar count?
The calculator uses 365 nights and repeats a two-week pattern. A real calendar year depends on which day it starts, leap years and the exact holiday dates, so a day-by-day count can differ slightly.
Write down the time that actually happens.
Custody Commander keeps your dated notes, evidence and messages organized in one place. Free to start; the other parent never has to join.