Custody Schedule Visualizer

Common Pennsylvania Custody Schedules

Pennsylvania custody orders typically establish a recurring schedule of physical custody. The schedule defines which parent has the children on which days. Below are the most common patterns and what they actually look like in practice. The schedule also matters financially: when the obligor has the children for 40% or more of annual overnights, the Part D adjustment under Pa.R.C.P. 1910.16-4(c) reduces the basic child support obligation.

50/50 Week On, Week Off

Each parent has the children for seven consecutive days, then exchanges. Simple to track, fewer transitions per month, but each parent goes a full week without seeing the children. Works better for older children who can manage longer stretches without each parent. Often paired with a midweek dinner visit during the off-week.

2-2-3 (50/50 Alternating)

Mon-Tue with Parent A, Wed-Thu with Parent B, Fri-Sun with Parent A. Following week: Mon-Tue with Parent B, Wed-Thu with Parent A, Fri-Sun with Parent B. Both parents see the children frequently, but transitions happen mid-week which can disrupt school routines. Common for younger children where neither parent should go more than a few days without contact.

2-2-5-5 (50/50 Longer Blocks)

Each parent has Monday-Tuesday or Wednesday-Thursday consistently, with alternating long weekends (Fri-Sun, then Mon-Tue rolling into the next person's standing time). Provides longer continuous time with each parent and consistent weekday assignments. Good balance between continuity and frequency.

3-4-4-3 (50/50 Weekly Variant)

Three days with Parent A, four days with Parent B, four days with Parent A, three days with Parent B. Repeats over two weeks. Slightly different rhythm from 2-2-5-5 with the same goal — equal time, longer blocks than 2-2-3.

Every Other Weekend (Standard)

The historical "standard" schedule before shared parenting became more common. One parent (typically the primary residential parent) has the children Monday-Friday and weeknights; the other parent has alternating weekends from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. Roughly 80/20 split. Most courts now prefer more shared time when both parents are fit and engaged.

Every Other Weekend + Wednesday Dinner

The standard every-other-weekend schedule plus a midweek dinner visit (typically Wednesday) for the non-residential parent. The dinner visit may or may not include an overnight; if it does, the schedule moves toward 65/35.

60/40 (Extended Weekends)

One parent has primary weekday custody; the other has extended weekends from Thursday or Friday afternoon through Sunday or Monday morning. Provides more shared time than every-other-weekend without the complexity of week-on-week-off. Often used as a compromise between primary custody and 50/50.

Weekday Parent / Weekend Parent

One parent has Monday-Friday during the school year; the other has all weekends. Less common but used in cases where parents live further apart or have very different work schedules. Roughly 70/30 to 65/35 depending on counting methods.

What This Visualizer Cannot Show

The visualizer shows the basic recurring weekly pattern. Most actual custody orders include modifications for:

• Holidays. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Mother's/Father's Day typically alternate by year. The "default" schedule yields to the holiday schedule.
• School breaks. Spring break, winter break, and summer often follow different patterns (e.g., alternating weeks during summer regardless of normal schedule).
• Vacations. Most orders allow each parent uninterrupted vacation time (typically 1-2 weeks per year) that supersedes normal schedule.
• Birthdays. The child's birthday and each parent's birthday often have specific provisions.
• Right of first refusal. Many orders require a parent who needs childcare during their custody time to offer that time to the other parent first.
• Travel restrictions. Orders typically address out-of-state and out-of-country travel during custody time.

The tool is for visualizing the basic recurring pattern. The full custody order will include layers of detail this tool doesn't capture.