70/30 Custody Schedules

Around 110 overnights a year for the second parent, the most common outcome above a visitation schedule.

Also written as 70 30 custody schedule, 70/30 parenting plan.

Overnight split: 71/29
Cycle length: 14 days
Exchanges: 6 per cycle
Longest gap: 6 nights

See Every other weekend + midweek on a calendar

Change the start date, swap which parent begins, or tap a night to move it. The overnight counts update as you go.

Schedule pattern

Majority time

Alternating Friday and Saturday nights plus one midweek overnight every week, the standard way to reach roughly a 70/30 split.

January 2026

Parent A
Parent B

Tap any night to switch parents.

A 70/30 split gives the primary parent about 256 overnights a year and the other about 109. It's where a great many families end up: more than a traditional visitation order, less than a shared arrangement.

The cleanest way to build it is alternating weekends plus one midweek overnight every week, which gives the second parent four nights in every fourteen, about 71/29, or 104 overnights a year. Adding a normal holiday rotation usually nudges it to something very close to 70/30.

The other common route is every weekend, which produces the same 71/29 with a completely different rhythm.

How Every other weekend + midweek works

Alternating weekends plus a midweek overnight

Four nights out of fourteen, 71/29. Six exchanges every two weeks. The children never go more than a few days without seeing either parent.

Every weekend

Two nights out of seven, also 71/29, but concentrated. Fewer exchanges, no midweek contact, and the weekday parent never gets a weekend.

Extended weekends plus holidays

Friday-to-Monday alternating weekends give 79/21 on the regular pattern. Add half the school holidays and a couple of summer weeks and the annual figure lands near 70/30.

Deciding between this and another pattern? Put them side by side in the custody schedule comparison tool, check your exact numbers with the parenting time calculator, and when the schedule is settled, turn it into a court-ready parenting plan.

Pros and cons

What works well

Substantially more time than a standard visitation order
One clear primary home
Manageable for parents who work full-time
Multiple routes to the same number, so there's room to negotiate the shape

What to watch for

The midweek route needs six exchanges every two weeks
The every-weekend route leaves the weekday parent without downtime
Still a meaningful imbalance in day-to-day involvement

When 70/30 is the right target

Where one parent has clearly been the primary caregiver and remains so, but the other is local, reliable and wants real involvement rather than two-week visits. It's also a common interim step while parents build the track record that supports a more equal arrangement later.

How it compares

The same figures for the schedules parents usually weigh against this one.

Schedule	Split	Cycle	Exchanges	Longest gap
Every other weekend + midweekThis page	71/29	14 days	6 / cycle	6 nights
Every weekend	71/29	7 days	2 / cycle	5 nights
Extended every other weekend	79/21	14 days	2 / cycle	11 nights
4-3	57/43	7 days	2 / cycle	4 nights

Common questions

How many overnights is 70/30 custody?

About 256 nights for the primary parent and 109 for the other. The exact number depends on the pattern and the holiday rotation, the calculator below gives your real figure.

What schedule gives a 70/30 split?

Alternating weekends plus one midweek overnight each week produces 71/29 exactly. An every-weekend schedule produces the same ratio with a different shape.

Is 70/30 joint custody?

It is usually described as one parent having primary physical custody with substantial parenting time for the other. Whether it meets a state's definition of joint physical custody depends on that state's threshold. State law and local court rules vary, so confirm the specifics with your court or an attorney before you file.

Document preparation only: not legal advice. Not affiliated with any court.