2-2-5-5 Custody Schedule: How It Works, With a Calendar
Updated · By the Law Figures editors
General information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state and change, so check the sources below or ask a lawyer licensed in your state before you act. Legal disclaimer
On this page
A 2-2-5-5 custody schedule gives each parent the same two weekdays every week and alternates the weekends, so the children spend 7 days of every 14 with each parent. Parent A always has Monday and Tuesday, Parent B always has Wednesday and Thursday, and the weekend from Friday on alternates, making blocks of 5 days. It's a common 50/50 plan for school-age children because the weekly routine never changes.
| Schedule | Pattern over two weeks | Exchanges every two weeks | Longest time away from a parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-2-5-5 | 2 days, 2 days, 5 days, 5 days | 4 | 5 days |
| 2-2-3 | 2, 2, 3 then the reverse | 6 | 3 days |
| 3-4-4-3 | 3, 4, 4, 3 | 4 | 4 days |
| Alternating weeks | 7 days, 7 days | 2 | 7 days |
All four split time equally. They differ in how often the children move and how long they go without seeing each parent, which is why younger children are often put on schedules with shorter blocks.
See it on a calendar
Pick the schedule and the first day the cycle starts with Parent A. For a standard 2-2-5-5, start on a Monday.
Custody schedule calendar
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Parent A | 2Parent A | |||||
| 3Parent B | 4Parent B | 5Parent A | 6Parent A | 7Parent A | 8Parent A | 9Parent A |
| 10Parent B | 11Parent B | 12Parent B | 13Parent B | 14Parent B | 15Parent A | 16Parent A |
| 17Parent B | 18Parent B | 19Parent A | 20Parent A | 21Parent A | 22Parent A | 23Parent A |
| 24Parent B | 25Parent B | 26Parent B | 27Parent B | 28Parent B | 29Parent A | 30Parent A |
| 31Parent B |
This month: Parent A 16 days, Parent B 15 days. Holidays and vacations in your order change the regular schedule.
The calendar starts with January 1, 2027, which is a Friday, so the pattern runs from there: Parent A has 16 days in January and Parent B has 15. Change the first day to a Monday to see the usual weekday pattern. Holidays and vacations in your order replace the regular days and aren't shown.
A week by week example
Starting on a Monday with Parent A:
- Week 1: Parent A Monday and Tuesday, Parent B Wednesday and Thursday, Parent A Friday through Sunday.
- Week 2: Parent A Monday and Tuesday, Parent B Wednesday and Thursday, Parent B Friday through Sunday.
Parent A's weekend runs Friday to Tuesday, and Parent B's runs Wednesday to Sunday, which is where the two 5-day blocks come from. Exchanges can happen at school, which cuts down on parents meeting in person.
How a court looks at it
No state requires a 2-2-5-5 plan. Parents can agree on it, and judges approve schedules that serve the child's best interest, which Texas, for example, makes the primary consideration in custody decisions (Family Code § 153.002). Every state uses a best-interest standard in some form. Things a judge may weigh:
- how far apart the parents live, and the distance to school;
- the child's age and how they handle transitions;
- whether the parents can communicate about schedules;
- each parent's work hours.
Questions to settle in the plan
- What time and where does each exchange happen?
- Who has the children on school holidays that fall on a weekday?
- How do holidays, birthdays and summer vacation change the regular schedule?
- What happens if one parent can't keep their days? See our guide to the right of first refusal.
- How will a change in work or school be handled?