At a glance
| Split | About 57/43 in the standard 4-3 build |
|---|---|
| Overnights in a year | About 156 overnights for Parent B (43%); an exact 40% would be 146 |
| Exchanges | Two a week — the child moves to Parent B mid-week and back for the school week |
| Longest stretch for the child | 4 nights |
A 60/40 schedule sits between equal time and a primary-home arrangement: one parent has the school-week base, the other has a substantial block every single week. The build courts and mediators reach for most often is the 4-3: Parent A has four nights a week, Parent B has three — typically a long weekend from Thursday to Sunday. Counted across a year, the 4-3 gives the parent with less time about 156 overnights, roughly 43%, which is why it is labelled 60/40 even though the real split is nearer 57/43.
The two-week pattern
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | A | A | B | B | B | A |
| Week 2 | A | A | A | B | B | B | A |
A = night at Parent A’s home B = night at Parent B’s home. The pattern then repeats.
How it works
Every week looks the same: Parent A has Sunday through Wednesday nights (the school-week base), Parent B has Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights — a long weekend that includes a school night on Friday morning. Because the pattern repeats weekly rather than over two weeks, there is nothing to alternate: birthdays, clubs and work shifts attach to fixed days. Some families instead build 60/40 from extended alternating weekends plus midweek nights; the calculator’s compare mode lets you test that shape against the 4-3.
Advantages
- Substantial time every week for both parents — no long gaps at all.
- The same days every week: maximum predictability for school and work.
- At about 43%, comfortably inside shared-parenting territory in most guidelines.
- Only two exchanges a week, on the same days.
Drawbacks to weigh
- One parent still owns most school mornings — the split is real, not cosmetic.
- Parent B’s block always contains the weekend, which can unbalance “fun time” versus homework time.
- A fixed weekly pattern leaves little room for a parent whose roster rotates.
- Holidays matter proportionally more: a two-week summer block moves the yearly split noticeably.
Who it suits
Works well for school-age children when one parent should keep the school-week base (proximity to school, work hours) but the other parent is fully involved. Also a natural step between 50/50 and 70/30 when circumstances change.
Holidays will move the real number
Everything above counts the rotation alone. Real parenting plans layer alternating holidays, school breaks and summer weeks on top — and those layers change the yearly count, sometimes by dozens of nights. The free calculator applies your actual holiday dates on a real 12-month calendar and counts the result exactly, and its compare mode shows this schedule against any other with the same holidays applied to both.
Build this schedule on your real dates — free
Frequently asked questions
How many overnights is 60/40 custody?
An exact 40% of 365 nights is 146 overnights. The most common real-world build, the 4-3, gives the parent with less time 3 nights every week — about 156 overnights a year, which is roughly 43%. Mediators still call it 60/40; what matters for support and planning is the overnight count, which the calculator gives you exactly.
What is the 4-3 custody schedule?
A weekly pattern where one parent has four nights and the other has three, every week — most often Parent A Sunday–Wednesday and Parent B Thursday–Saturday. It is the standard way to build a schedule in the 60/40 range.
60/40 or 50/50 — which is better?
Neither, in the abstract. 50/50 rotations equalise school nights as well as weekends; the 4-3 keeps one school-week base, which suits some children and some commutes better. If you are choosing, model both with your real holiday dates and compare the counts and the exchange load side by side.
Other schedules
2-2-3 · 2-2-5-5 · 3-4-4-3 · Week on / week off · Every other weekend · 70/30 · Custody schedules explained (all splits compared)
This guide is general information about common schedule patterns, not legal advice. Custody law and counting rules vary by state and by your court order.