Parenting time percentage calculator
Turn nights per parent into a percentage and an estimated number of nights per 365-day year.
Parenting time by overnight stays
10 nights for Parent A and 4 for Parent B in a 14-night cycle.
Example: Edit settings to personalise.
- Parent A
- 71.4%10 of 14 nights
- Parent B
- 28.6%4 of 14 nights
Estimated nights per 365-day year
- Parent A: about 260.7 nights
- Parent B: about 104.3 nights
These estimates scale the complete cycle to 365 days. They do not count a dated calendar or include holiday exceptions.
Not legal advice. Overnight percentages alone do not determine custody, parenting rights or support obligations.
For general information only, not professional advice. Check the official sources below. Use your own judgement and speak to a family lawyer before you act.
How to use this calculator
- Choose a repeating custody preset or enter your own night counts.
- Count the nights allocated to Parent A and Parent B in the same complete cycle. Count each overnight stay once.
- Read the percentage chart and the numeric results. The annual estimate scales your cycle to 365 days.
- Save these settings on your device, share them as a link or print the chart and results.
How it works
The tool divides each parent's nights by the combined nights in the cycle, then multiplies by 100. For example, four nights out of fourteen is 4 / 14 × 100 = 28.6% after rounding. Percentages are shown to one decimal place, but the calculation keeps full precision.
The annual estimate divides the parent's nights by the cycle nights and multiplies by 365. It is displayed to at most one decimal place. This is a cycle average, not a count of actual dates in a selected year. It always uses 365 days and does not change for a leap year.
Presets take their overnight counts from the defined custody sequences. The equal fortnightly presets have seven nights each. The every other weekend preset has two nights for Parent B and twelve for Parent A in fourteen nights. Midweek daytime visits do not add overnight stays. Editing either count selects your own counts.
For a reliable input, use the same complete period for both parents and allocate every counted night to one parent. The tool accepts zero for one parent if the other has at least one night. It cannot identify double-counted nights or exceptions that were omitted from the numbers.
Not legal advice. A share of overnight stays does not establish legal custody, parenting rights or support obligations. Local rules may count parenting time differently. Check your agreement, holiday exceptions and applicable rules with a family lawyer.
Worked example
Parent A has ten nights and Parent B has four in a 14-night cycle:
- Parent B: 4 / 14 × 100 = 28.6% of the cycle.
- Parent A: 10 / 14 × 100 = 71.4% of the cycle.
- Parent B's annual estimate: 4 / 14 × 365 = 104.2857 nights, shown as about 104.3 nights.
Common questions
How is parenting time percentage calculated?
This tool uses overnight stays: a parent's nights divided by the combined nights in a complete cycle, multiplied by 100. It does not calculate hours or a legal definition of parenting time.
Does a 2-2-5-5 pattern give 50% each?
Yes, its complete 14-night cycle has seven nights for each parent. An actual calendar year can have a different split because it may contain incomplete cycles or exceptions.
Do daytime visits count as nights?
No. Enter overnight stays only. A dinner or daytime visit without an overnight stay does not add a night in this calculation.
Why are annual nights only an estimate?
The tool scales a repeating cycle to 365 days. It does not lay the cycle onto dated months, account for a leap year or apply holiday changes. Use a dated custody calendar to count a particular year's planned nights.
Can one parent have zero nights?
Yes, provided the other parent's count is at least one. The tool then shows 0% and 100%. Both counts must be whole non-negative numbers and the combined cycle must contain at least one night.
Can I use this percentage for a legal decision?
This result is not legal advice and does not determine custody or support. Relevant rules can use a different definition or counting method. Speak to a family lawyer before relying on it for a legal decision.
Sources
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