Quick answer: Arizona counts parenting time in days a year and converts it to a child support adjustment with the Parenting Time Table, from 0% for 0 to 19 days to 50% for 164 or more. The court shall maximize each parent’s time consistent with the child’s best interests, but shared legal decision-making does not necessarily mean equal parenting time.
This Arizona parenting time calculator turns a schedule into days a year and a percentage, then reads the adjustment from the table in the Arizona Child Support Guidelines. Enter the overnights in a 14-day cycle and any extra nights: the result is arithmetic, and the court decides parenting time and support.
Arizona parenting time and custody rules at a glance
| Rule | What Arizona says |
|---|---|
| Policy | Absent evidence to the contrary, it is in a child’s best interest to have substantial, frequent, meaningful and continuing parenting time with both parents and to have both participate in decision-making (A.R.S. 25-103(B)) |
| Parenting plan | The court shall adopt a plan that provides for shared legal decision-making and maximizes parenting time, consistent with best interests (25-403.02(B)) |
| Equal time | Shared legal decision-making does not necessarily mean equal parenting time (25-403.02(E)) |
| Child support | Parenting Time Table: 0% for 0 to 19 days up to 50% for 164 or more (Child Support Guidelines) |
| Moving the child | Written notice 45 days ahead to move out of state or more than 100 miles within the state; 30 days to petition (25-408) |
| Domestic violence | The court considers it under a separate statute with written findings (25-403.03) |
How do custody and parenting time work in Arizona?
- Joint or sole decision-making. See joint versus sole custody in Arizona.
- Schedules. See standard parenting time schedules in Arizona.
- Moving with a child. See moving away with a child in Arizona.
What does this parenting time calculator check?
You enter the overnights the other parent has in a typical 14-day cycle and any extra overnights a year, such as summer and holidays. The calculator scales the cycle to 365 nights, adds the extras, and shows the days and percentage for each parent, the adjustment each would get from the Parenting Time Table and whether both parents have 164 days or more. The guidelines count a day as noon to noon and count partial days by hours, so treat an overnight count as an estimate. It does not calculate child support: use the Arizona child support calculator for that, and the Arizona divorce timeline calculator for the dates of the case.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arizona presume equal parenting time?
No. Shared legal decision-making does not necessarily mean equal parenting time, though the court shall maximize each parent’s time consistent with best interests.
How many days is a 50% parenting time adjustment in Arizona?
The Parenting Time Table gives 50% for 164 or more days of parenting time a year.
How does Arizona count a parenting time day?
Noon to noon is one day, and partial days are counted by hours, so overnights are only an estimate.
What is the Arizona parenting time adjustment for 130 days?
25% of the basic child support obligation, from the 130 to 142 day row of the table.
Does this Arizona calculator set child support?
No. It counts days; the Arizona child support calculator estimates the guideline amount.
Official sources
- A.R.S. 25-103: purposes of title; best interest policy
- A.R.S. 25-401: definitions
- A.R.S. 25-403: legal decision-making; best interests of child
- A.R.S. 25-403.02: parenting plans
- A.R.S. 25-408: rights of each parent; relocation
- Arizona Child Support Guidelines (Administrative Order 2022-116): Parenting Time Table