Custody schedules
In a 3-4-4-3 schedule, the children spend three nights with one parent and four with the other, then it swaps the next week. Over two weeks it is 50/50, and no one is apart from the children for more than four nights.
A 3-4-4-3 custody schedule gives each parent seven nights in every 14. The blocks are three and four nights long, so the gaps are short, with fewer handovers than a 2-2-3.
One common way to set it up keeps most weekdays fixed. One parent always has Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. The other always has Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Saturday night alternates, and that is where the three and the four come from.
Also called 3-4, 4-3 or 3-3-4-4.
Two weeks, then it repeats
Parent A Parent B
Here is that version, starting on a Sunday:
That makes four handovers in every two weeks, and the longest stretch is four nights.
Pros and cons
A 3-4-4-3 often suits children who are ready for slightly longer blocks than a 2-2-3 but still want to see both parents every few days. It works well when one parent's work days are fixed, such as weekends or the start of the week.
If full weekends matter more than short gaps, a 2-2-5-5 gives each parent alternate whole weekends instead.
Some plans count three days with one parent, then four with the other, then reverse. The handover days move a little each week.
Moving the blocks gives each parent alternate full weekends. In Casewell you can shift the pattern with Move by a week, or draw your own.
Midweek handovers at school pickup keep exchanges short and neutral.
Track it in Casewell
Pick it from the patterns. Casewell fills in who has the children each night, this week and next.
Use Swap sides or Move by a week until the nights match your order or agreement, then set the handover times.
When a night changes, record it. The calendar counts the nights with each parent, and your PDF can include the schedule.
Compare
| Schedule | Split | Handovers in 2 weeks | Longest time apart | Weekends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2-3 | 50/50 | 6 | 3 nights | Alternate, Friday to Sunday |
| 2-2-5-5 | 50/50 | 4 | 5 nights | Alternate, Friday to Sunday |
| 3-4-4-3 | 50/50 | 4 | 4 nights | Split: Saturday alternates |
| Week on, week off | 50/50 | 2 | 7 nights | Alternate, as part of each week |
| Every other weekend | 86/14 | 2 | 12 nights | Every other weekend with Parent B |
Counted over two weeks with the handover times the app uses by default. Try the patterns side by side with the custody schedule comparison tool.
Common questions
Casewell helps you keep track of a schedule. It does not give legal advice or decide what a court will order.
The children spend three nights with one parent and four with the other. The next week it swaps: four nights, then three. Over two weeks each parent has seven nights.
Yes. Each parent has seven nights in every two weeks.
Neither is better for every family. A 3-4-4-3 has four handovers in two weeks instead of six, and gaps of up to four nights instead of three.
In the version shown here, weekends are split and Saturday alternates. Other versions give alternate full weekends. Choose the one that fits your children's weekends.
Choose 3-4-4-3 in Casewell, then adjust it with Swap sides or Move by a week, or draw your own. The calendar fills in and counts the nights with each parent.
Keep reading
Set up your 3-4-4-3 schedule, record changes, and count the nights with each parent.
Casewell does not provide legal advice or guarantee professional acceptance.
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