What It Means
A week-on, week-off schedule is an equal-time custody arrangement in which the child spends seven days in a row with one parent and the next seven with the other. The switch happens on the same day each week; Monterey County Superior Court's handout says Friday after school is the usual choice, though any day can work. Some plans add a short mid-week visit with the parent who doesn't have that week.
Try It: Add a Mid-Week Visit and See the Gap Shrink
A two-week cycle starting on a Friday. Tick the box to add one mid-week visit a week for the parent who doesn't have that week.
Two overnight handovers every 14 days, and a full week in each home.
Still 7 nights each. The visit shortens the time between contact from 7 days to 3.5, per Monterey County's handout.
How Parents Say It
- "We switch every Friday after school."
- "It's my week off, so I'm catching up on everything."
- "Dad does Wednesday dinner on his off week."
The Breakdown
Worked example. The parents switch at Friday pickup. Parent A has the child from this Friday to next Friday, then Parent B has the following week.
| Parent A | Parent B | |
|---|---|---|
| Nights in 14 days | 7 | 7 |
| Share of overnights | 50% | 50% |
| Overnight handovers in 14 days | 2 (one each Friday) | |
| Longest gap without the child | 7 days | 7 days |
| With a mid-week visit | 3.5 days | 3.5 days |
What the result means. The split is even and there are only two moves between homes every two weeks, so each stretch has time to settle. The tradeoff is the week apart. Monterey County Superior Court's handout notes that a mid-week visit for the parent without the week cuts the time between contact from 7 days to 3.5, without changing the overnight split.
Other things the plan should cover. Which day and time the week starts, who drives, how school items travel between homes, and how holidays and school breaks override the rotation.
Good to Know
Custody is state law and differs by state. Courts decide by the child's best interests under each state's own law, so read your state court's self-help pages or talk to a family law attorney before agreeing to or changing a schedule. Court sample schedules, such as the Oregon Judicial Department's, set out options by the child's age, which is one of the things courts and parents weigh when choosing how long a stretch should be.
FAQ
What day should a week-on, week-off schedule start?
Any day both parents can keep. Monterey County Superior Court's handout says Friday after school is common, which lets the handover happen at school.
Is week on, week off 50/50?
Yes. Each parent has the child for 7 nights of every 14.
What's the difference between week on, week off and 2-2-3?
Both split nights evenly. Week on, week off has 2 handovers every two weeks and 7-day stretches, while a rotating 2-2-3 has 6 handovers and no more than 3 days away from either parent.
Do It in Buhata
Calendar and Pickup and Drop-off
Put each parent's weeks on the Calendar in a Household Space in Buhata, and log the Friday handover and any mid-week visit in Pickup and Drop-off (Household X add-on).
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Custody schedule
The calendar in a parenting plan that says which days and nights a child spends with each parent, including handovers, holidays and school breaks.
- 2-2-3 custody schedule
An equal-time custody rotation in which a child spends 2 days with one parent, 2 with the other, then 3 with the first, flipping the next week.
- Co-parenting
Two parents who live apart sharing the job of raising their child, working together on rules, schedules and decisions across both homes.
- Parenting plan
The written arrangement, usually made into a court order, that says how separated parents share decisions and time with their children.
- Parallel parenting
A way for separated parents in high conflict to both stay involved while keeping direct contact to a minimum and running each home by its own rules.
Sources
Superior Court of California, County of Monterey, "Considering an Equal Parenting Plan Arrangement?"; California Courts Self Help Guide, "Child custody and parenting time"; American Bar Association, "The Many Looks of Physical Custody: A Parenting Plan for Every Situation"; Oregon Judicial Department, sample parenting schedules for all ages
- www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/system/files/general/considering-equal-time-parenting-plan.pdf
- selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/child-custody
- www.americanbar.org/groups/family_law/resources/family-advocate/archive/many-looks-physical-custody-parenting-plan-every-situation
- www.courts.oregon.gov/forms/Documents/SampleSchedules-AllAges.pdf
Last updated .