At a glance
| Split | About 71/29 (courts generally call 68/32 to 72/28 a “70/30”) |
|---|---|
| Overnights in a year | About 104 overnights for Parent B (29%) with the standard builds; about 109–110 is the exact 30% mark |
| Exchanges | Weekends plus a midweek handover (build 1) or every weekend (build 2) |
| Longest stretch for the child | Up to 6 nights between Parent B’s times (build 1) |
A 70/30 schedule gives one parent a clear primary home base — about 70% of overnights — while guaranteeing the other parent regular, predictable time at about 30%. There is no single official 70/30 pattern; there are two common builds, and both land at roughly 104 overnights a year for the parent with less time, just under the exact 30% mark of about 110. The calendar below shows the most popular build.
The two-week pattern
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | A | B | A | A | A | A |
| Week 2 | A | A | B | A | B | B | A |
A = night at Parent A’s home B = night at Parent B’s home. The pattern then repeats.
How it works
Build 1 — every other weekend plus a midweek overnight (shown below): Parent B has Friday–Sunday every second weekend, plus one overnight in the middle of every week, usually Wednesday. That is 4 of every 14 nights. Build 2 — every weekend: Parent B has Friday and Saturday nights every week while Parent A keeps the school week — also 4 of every 14 nights, but with no long gap between Parent B’s times. Adding holiday splits and a summer block typically moves either build from about 104 toward a true 110.
Advantages
- A stable primary home with a real, regular second-home presence — not just token weekends.
- At about 29–30%, the split often crosses shared-parenting thresholds that 14% does not reach.
- Build 2 (every weekend) never leaves more than five nights between Parent B’s times.
- Predictable enough to plan work and childcare around.
Drawbacks to weigh
- One parent still carries the large majority of school-week life.
- Build 1 has a midweek handover every week, all year.
- Small changes swing the label: lose the midweek night and the same family drops to about 14%.
- Needs explicit holiday and summer rules, or the real split drifts from 70/30.
Who it suits
Fits when 50/50 is not workable — distance, a parent’s travel or shift pattern, a very young child — but both parents are involved and available. Also a common step-down from 50/50, or step-up from every other weekend.
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 70/30 custody?
An exact 30% of a 365-night year is about 110 overnights (and about 255 for the 70% parent). The two standard builds — every other weekend plus a weekly midweek overnight, or every weekend — give about 104 overnights, roughly 29%, which courts and mediators generally treat as 70/30; holidays and summer usually close the remaining gap.
What does a 70/30 schedule look like week to week?
Most commonly: the child is with Parent A for school nights, and Parent B has every other weekend (Friday to Sunday) plus one midweek overnight each week. The alternative build gives Parent B every weekend instead. Both are drawn and countable in the calculator.
Does 70/30 affect child support?
In many states, yes — support formulas commonly start adjusting once the parent with less time passes a threshold somewhere around 90–128 overnights, and 104–110 overnights is above most of those lines, while 52 (every other weekend) is below all of them. The exact rules are state-specific; check your state’s worksheet or ask an attorney.
Other schedules
2-2-3 · 2-2-5-5 · 3-4-4-3 · Week on / week off · Every other weekend · 60/40 · 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.