The Parenting Time Adjustment in Arizona Child Support
Arizona converts the days a child spends with a parent into a percentage, from 0% for 0 to 19 days to 50% for 164 or more days, multiplies it by the basic obligation and subtracts it from that parent’s share. Even with equal time, the higher earner can owe support.
Why the guidelines adjust for parenting time
The schedule is based on what intact households spend, so it does not account for costs that move between households when a child spends time with each parent. The parenting time adjustment recognizes that shift. The guidelines say their methods for counting time are directions for determining child support and do not alter parenting time orders (Section V.A).
How days are counted
Time is counted in segments that begin at the exchange between parents. Each full 24 hours counts as one day; a remaining period of 12 hours or more counts as one day, 6 to 11 hours as a half day, and 3 to 5 hours as a quarter day. A period under 3 hours can count as a quarter day if the parent pays for routine expenses such as meals. A parent who has the child from 8:00 p.m. Thursday to 7:00 a.m. Monday has three days plus 11 hours, which is three and a half days (Section V.C).
The Parenting Time Table
The total days per year are matched to a percentage:
| Parenting time days | Adjustment percentage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 19 | 0% |
| 20 to 34 | 2.5% |
| 35 to 49 | 5% |
| 50 to 69 | 7.5% |
| 70 to 84 | 10% |
| 85 to 99 | 15% |
| 100 to 114 | 17.5% |
| 115 to 129 | 20% |
| 130 to 142 | 25% |
| 143 to 152 | 32.5% |
| 153 to 163 | 40% |
| 164 or more | 50% |
The percentage is multiplied by the basic obligation, including any older child adjustment, and subtracted from the share of the parent whose time is counted. Medical insurance, child care and other costs are not part of that multiplication (Section V.D).
Essentially equal parenting time
As time approaches equal sharing, costs usually paid by the parent with more time are presumed to be substantially shared. A parent can still owe support if incomes are unequal. In the guidelines’ example, two children share essentially equal time, one parent earns $5,000 and the other $3,000, and the basic obligation for $8,000 is $1,622. The higher earner’s 62.5% share is $1,014; the 50% adjustment is $811; the result is $203, which that parent pays to the other. The calculator’s equal-time example returns the same $203.
Different schedules for different children
If each parent has more than half the time with at least one child, two worksheets are prepared and the amounts are offset. If neither parent has more than half the time with any child, one worksheet is used with the average of the parenting days across the children (Section V.F).
Try your own schedule
Move the days slider in the Arizona child support calculator to see how each bracket changes the result. How the adjustment fits the overall steps is in how the Arizona guidelines calculate child support.
Frequently asked questions
How many parenting time days count as equal in Arizona?
The Parenting Time Table gives its largest adjustment, 50%, at 164 or more days a year, and the guidelines treat time near equal sharing as essentially equal.
How are overnights counted for Arizona child support?
Each 24 hours counts as one day, with smaller periods counted as one day, a half day or a quarter day depending on their length.
Does 50/50 parenting time mean no child support in Arizona?
No. A parent can still owe support if incomes are unequal or the children's costs are not equally shared.
What is the Arizona parenting time adjustment percentage for 110 days?
17.5%, the percentage for 100 to 114 days.
Does the parenting time adjustment change the parenting plan?
No. The guidelines say their methods for counting time determine child support only and must not be used to interpret parenting time orders.
Official sources
A local family law attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.
This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Arizona statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Arizona attorney.