What Custody Schedule Will Work Best for My Family?
Every family and case is unique, which is why we can’t give you a cut-and-dry answer about which child custody schedule will work best for you and your children. What schedule is best for your family will depend on your child’s age, your and your co-parent’s schedules, and a host of other factors.
For instance, families with younger children can benefit more from schedules that enforce consistency and allow the child to see their parents regularly as they are still forming attachments. However, families with older children may need more flexibility because of how involved their child is with extracurriculars, an after-school job, and other commitments.
Types of Shared Parenting Schedules
Parents who are considering sharing physical custody may wonder what type of parenting schedule will work for their family. Common types of joint physical custody schedules include:
- 2-2-3 schedule. Parents alternate having physical custody for five or two days a week. Specifically, Parent A will have physical custody for two consecutive days. Parent B will have physical custody for the next two days, and then, parent A will have custody for the last two days of the cycle. The parents will then alternate: Parent B will have the first two consecutive days and the last three days of the cycle while Parent A will have two days with the child.
- 2-2-5-5 schedule. Similar to the last schedule, parents alternate custody every two days, then every five days. For example, Parent A will have the child Sunday and Monday, and then, Parent B will have custody Tuesday and Wednesday. Following that, Parent A will have custody from Thursday to Monday, and Parent B will have custody from Tuesday to Saturday. With this schedule, parents have the same two and alternating weekends, which can be helpful if a child or family has a lot of extracurricular or scheduled events.
- 3-4-4-3 schedule. Again, parents and children exchange after three days—then four days--- then four days—and then three days. This type of schedule allows one parent to have50.3% of the timeshare, while the other has 49.7% of the timeshare. However, there are a lot of exchanges with this type of schedule.
- Alternating weeks. This type of schedule is also referred to as a week-on, week-off schedule as parents alternate who has physical custody each week. Alternating weeks can benefit teens or families who benefit from fewer exchanges.
- 70-30 schedule (with alternating weekends and a weekday visit or overnight stay). With this schedule, Parent A will maintain physical custody for 11 days; then, Parent B will have the child for 3 days. During Parent A’s 11 days (i.e. Sunday to the next week’s Wednesday), Parent B can have a mid-week visit or exchange. If either parent has a demanding job or lives far away, this schedule typically works best for them.
Contact William Kirby Law, Family Law Attorneys to schedule a case consultation by calling (215) 515-9901 today. Our firm is here and equipped to help you and your family smoothly navigate the child custody process.