Turn a parenting schedule into each parent's share of overnights — the number courts actually look at.
Pick the schedule that fits your arrangement for an instant overnight split. Nothing is stored.
When courts and attorneys talk about "custody percentage," they almost always mean the share of overnights each parent has over a full year. A year has 365 overnights, so a parent with 182 of them has roughly 50% time-share. Daytime visits and pickups matter for the children, but overnights are the unit that drives the legal math.
Here is what common schedules tend to work out to over a year:
Around 52 overnights a year (roughly 14%). This is a traditional "visitation" schedule where one parent has the children most school nights.
These land at or near a true 50/50 split — about 182 overnights each. They're popular when both parents live close and want equal time.
A shared schedule that gives the non-primary parent roughly 40% of overnights, rotating so neither parent goes long without the children.
Overnights are simple to count and hard to dispute, and they line up with how children's living costs are shared. Most custody and child-support guidelines are built around overnight counts rather than daytime hours.
Often, yes. In many jurisdictions, as a parent's overnight percentage rises, the support they owe drops because they're covering more of the children's day-to-day costs directly. Equal time can substantially reduce or offset support depending on the income gap.
Not automatically. Courts decide based on the children's best interests — including stability, school, work schedules, and each parent's involvement. Many families do share time equally, but it isn't guaranteed.
It uses typical year-long overnight totals for each common schedule. Holidays, summer breaks, and your specific rotation can shift the numbers. Use the "Custom" option to enter your own overnight count for a closer figure.
This calculator provides a general, simplified estimate for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and does not reflect any specific jurisdiction's guidelines. No attorney-client relationship is formed by using this tool.
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