The 5-2-2-5 Parenting Plan

The 5-2-2-5 Parenting Plan

Establishing parenting time, or the physical time each parent can spend with their child, can be challenging. Courts will rule based on the best interests of the child but there can be a great deal of nuance when it comes to determining the specifics.

When possible, courts prefer for children to have equal time with each parent. However, that doesn’t have to mean the traditional “week-on-week-off” schedule that is commonly considered. In fact, one favored equal parenting time schedule follows the “5-2-2-5” model.

The 5-2-2-5 schedule allows for each parent to alternate having a complete weekend by breaking down each full parenting time “cycle” into two-week periods, rather than a single week (5+2+2+5=14 days). In this model, Parent A would receive 5 days, Parent B would receive the next 2 days, Parent A would receive the following 2 days, and Parent B would receive the final 5 days of the two-week period. Specifically, each parent would split the weekdays of Monday-Tuesday and Wednesday-Thursday to allow for alternating long weekends.

When parents are able to each have complete weekends with their child, rather than partial weekends that are interrupted by drop-offs to the other parent, they are able to provide a greater expanse of weekend activities, such as family trips or sleepovers with friends. While this plan will not be suitable for all families, it is an excellent model to consider for some families with equal parenting time.

If you need assistance establishing a parenting plan schedule, or would like to modify an existing one, call the family law attorneys at Rideout Law Group today.

Rideout Law Group handles cases throughout the entire state of Arizona, with offices located in Scottsdale and Lake Havasu City. Our attorneys are experienced in handling cases involving parenting time. For a free consultation, call 480-584-3328.