Quick answer: California has no presumption for or against joint or sole custody: the court has the widest discretion to choose the parenting plan that is in the child’s best interest. The one presumption for joint custody applies when the parents have agreed to it. For child support, the timeshare percentage goes into the formula.
This California parenting time calculator turns a schedule into overnights a year and a timeshare percentage, then shows the multiplier that percentage produces in the formula in Family Code 4055. Enter the overnights in a 14-day cycle and any extra nights: the result is arithmetic, and the court decides custody and support.
California parenting time and custody rules at a glance
| Rule | What California says |
|---|---|
| Policy | Children should have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents separate or dissolve the marriage, unless the contact would not be in the child’s best interest (Family Code 3020) |
| Order of preference | Custody to both parents jointly or to either parent, by the child’s best interest; neither a preference nor a presumption for or against joint legal, joint physical or sole custody (3040(a), (e)) |
| When parents agree | A presumption, affecting the burden of proof, that joint custody is in the child’s best interest where the parents agreed to it, subject to the best-interest factors (3080, 3011) |
| Domestic violence | Rebuttable presumption against sole or joint custody for a parent who perpetrated it within the previous five years (3044) |
| Child support | The timeshare percentage (H%) of the higher earner goes into CS = K[HN − (H%)(TN)] (4055) |
| Moving | A parent entitled to custody may change the child’s residence, subject to the court’s power to restrain a move that would prejudice the child (7501) |
How do custody and parenting time work in California?
- Joint or sole custody. See joint versus sole custody in California.
- Schedules. See parenting time schedules in California.
- Moving with a child. See moving away with a child in California.
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 timeshare percentage for each parent and the multiplier in the support formula if that parent is the higher earner. It does not calculate child support: use the California child support calculator for that, and the California divorce timeline calculator for the dates of the case. The court may count time by hours or days rather than overnights, so treat the figure as an estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Does California presume joint custody?
Not as a general rule. Family Code 3040 states neither a preference nor a presumption for or against joint or sole custody, and the presumption in 3080 applies where the parents have agreed to joint custody.
What is the minimum timeshare for joint custody in California?
The statutes name no minimum percentage; the court looks at the child’s best interest.
How does California use timeshare in child support?
The higher earner’s timeshare percentage (H%) is a variable in the formula; a larger timeshare for the higher earner lowers the amount.
Does domestic violence affect California custody?
A finding of domestic violence in the previous five years creates a rebuttable presumption against sole or joint custody for the perpetrator.
Does this California calculator set child support?
No. It counts overnights and shows the multiplier; the California child support calculator estimates the guideline amount.
Official sources
- Family Code 3020: legislative findings; continuing contact with parents
- Family Code 3011: best interest of the child; considerations
- Family Code 3040: order of preference for custody
- Family Code 3044: domestic violence presumption
- Family Code 4055: statewide uniform child support guideline
- Family Code 7501: parent’s right to determine residence of the child