The Every Other Weekend Custody Schedule
One primary home on weekdays, with the other parent taking alternating Friday-to-Sunday weekends.
How the Every Other Weekend schedule works
The kids live with Parent A during the school week. Parent B has them every other weekend, typically Friday evening through Sunday evening — about 4 overnights a month, often expanded with holidays and summer blocks.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| Week 2 | A | A | A | A | B | B | B |
Across the two-week cycle that's 11 overnights with Parent A and 3 with Parent B — a ~80/20 time split.
Advantages
- Very stable school-week routine in one home
- Works when parents live farther apart
- Simple to plan around
Trade-offs
- Long gaps between visits with the weekend parent
- Weekend parent gets little school-life involvement
- Can drift toward disengagement without deliberate midweek contact
Who it suits
The Every Other Weekend schedule tends to fit situations where distance, work schedules, or the children's needs make a primary home the practical choice.
See it laid out on a real calendar
The free Custody Schedule Maker draws this rotation (and the alternatives) across a month so you can compare before committing.
What this schedule means for shared expenses
Time split and money split are separate decisions: a ~80/20 schedule doesn't automatically make every cost match the time split. Clothing, activities, and school costs follow whatever your order or agreement says — and with kids moving between homes, receipts and reimbursements multiply. A shared, neutral ledger where each expense carries its receipt and agreed split keeps the schedule about the kids, not the money.
→ Compare all common custody schedules · → Which schedule is right for your family?
General information for co-parents, not legal advice. Custody arrangements are set by your agreement or court order.