The 70/30 custody schedule

Patterns giving one parent about ten nights in fourteen: 5-2, or every other weekend plus a weekly midweek overnight.

70/30

time split (71% / 29%)

10 / 4

overnights per 14 nights

4

exchanges per 14 nights

70/30 on a two-week calendar

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Week 1AAAAABB
Week 2AAAAABB
A = Parent AB = Parent BEach cell is one overnight. The pattern repeats every two weeks.

Which ages the 70/30 schedule suits

One parent who travels or works long hours in the week, or lives too far for school runs, where the other parent manages the school week.

  • Infants (0 to 18 months)●●○
  • Toddlers (18 months to 3)●●○
  • Preschool (3 to 5)●●●
  • School age (6 to 12)●●●
  • Teens (13+)●●○

Pros and cons of 70/30

Works well

  • The non-primary parent still sees the children every week
  • Stable school week
  • Often a realistic first step up from every other weekend

Watch out for

  • Unequal, with the child support consequences that follow
  • The weekend parent can end up with all the fun and none of the school life

What your parenting plan should say

Describe the full cycle in days and times, not as a percentage. Name the parent who starts and the date the cycle begins, state where exchanges happen, and say that the holiday schedule overrides this one. Sample wording:

The children shall reside primarily with Parent A. Parent B shall have the children every Friday after school until Sunday at 6 pm, and from after school until the next morning every Wednesday, giving Parent B approximately four overnights in every fourteen.

Adapt the day names and times to your family. This is sample wording, not legal advice for your case.

Write the 70/30 schedule into your agreement

The Complete Co-Parenting Kit includes the fillable parenting agreement with a ready-made schedule section, holiday clauses and a completion guide, plus the 30-Day Reset workbook and 20 message scripts for proposing a schedule to a reluctant co-parent.

See what is in the Kit ($297)

Delivered by email. 30-day money-back guarantee.

70/30 schedule: questions parents ask

What does a 70/30 custody schedule look like?

Usually 5-2 (weekends to one parent every week) or every other weekend plus one midweek overnight each week. Both give one parent about ten nights in fourteen.

Is 70/30 a common court outcome?

It is common where distance or work makes 50/50 impractical. Courts rarely name a percentage; they order a specific pattern.

How many overnights is 70/30?

About ten and four per fourteen nights.

Can we move from 70/30 to 50/50 later?

Yes. Write a review date and the intended step into the plan so it does not need a renegotiation from scratch.

What should the plan say?

Write the specific days and times. Add a holiday and summer schedule that gives the non-primary parent longer blocks, which is where most of their time comes from.

Other 70/30 schedules

  • 5-2: Five weeknights with one parent and the weekend with the other, every week. About 70/30.

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