Standard Parenting Time Schedules and Court Guidelines in Connecticut
Connecticut has no standard parenting time schedule in its statutes. The parental responsibility plan sets the schedule, and the child support guidelines reject any percentage or formula for shared physical custody.
Does Connecticut have a standard parenting time schedule?
Not in the statutes. The code requires each parental responsibility plan to include a schedule of the child’s physical residence during the year (C.G.S. 46b-56a(d)(1)), and the court decides the schedule on the child’s best interests (46b-56). The schedule is set in your agreement or the court’s order.
What is the traditional baseline in Connecticut?
The child support commission described it: a finding of shared physical custody should be made only where each parent has physical care of the child for periods substantially in excess of two overnights on alternate weekends, alternate holidays, some vacation time and other visits of short duration that may include a weekday overnight, though equal time is not required (child support guidelines).
| Pattern (other parent) | Overnights a year | Share of the year | More than 52 overnights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 of 14 nights | 52 | 14.2% | No |
| 3 of 14 nights | 78 | 21.4% | Yes |
| 4 of 14 nights | 104 | 28.5% | Yes |
| 5 of 14 nights | 130 | 35.6% | Yes |
| 7 of 14 nights | 183 | 50.1% | Yes |
| 9 of 14 nights | 235 | 64.4% | Yes |
Two overnights on alternate weekends counts as 52 overnights a year before holidays and vacation. These are our counts of a repeating 14-day pattern.
Why is there no percentage in Connecticut?
The commission rejected a bright-line definitional test and a formula based on time spent with each parent, to keep the focus on the child’s best interests and to discourage disputes over time-sharing as a way to affect support. The regulations define shared physical custody as substantially equal time and contact with both parents (Regs. 46b-215a-1(23)).
Can the court depart from the guidelines when time is shared in Connecticut?
The guidelines allow a deviation in a shared physical custody case, including where both parents have substantially equal income, and the commission said the courts must still decide what level of sharing is enough to warrant a deviation from the presumptive amount (child support guidelines). Keep records of the actual schedule, because the facts decide.
What should a written schedule cover in Connecticut?
- The regular pattern, with exchange days, times and a place.
- Holidays, school breaks and summer, and how they replace the regular pattern.
- The overnight count, so child support starts from the right facts.
- Travel, communication and decision-making.
- A process for resolving disputes, which the plan must include.
How does a schedule turn into support in Connecticut?
Connecticut’s guidelines treat support in shared physical custody differently: the presumptive order is the amount the higher-income parent would pay, and a deviation may apply. Run the Connecticut parenting time calculator for overnights and the Connecticut child support calculator for the amount.
Can a Connecticut order give joint legal custody with an unequal schedule?
Yes, where the parents have agreed to merely joint legal custody the court may award it without joint physical custody (46b-56a(a)). The parental responsibility plan then sets the schedule of the child’s physical residence during the year (46b-56a(d)(1)), and the 52-overnight baseline is only the traditional starting point.
What if the parents cannot agree in Connecticut?
Each files a proposed plan, and the court decides on the child’s best interests with the 17 factors. See the uncontested versus contested divorce in Connecticut post for the difference in procedure.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a standard parenting schedule in Connecticut?
No statewide schedule appears in the statutes; the plan or the order sets it.
What is two overnights on alternate weekends a year in Connecticut?
52 overnights a year, before holidays and vacation.
Does a 7-in-14 schedule count as shared physical custody in Connecticut?
It is about 183 overnights, 50.1%, which is substantially equal, though the court decides.
Is there a Connecticut percentage for joint physical custody?
No. The regulations ask for substantially equal time and contact.
Who sets the schedule if Connecticut parents cannot agree?
The court, on the child’s best interests.
Official sources
- C.G.S. 46b-56: orders re custody; best interests of the child
- Connecticut General Statutes chapter 815j: 46b-56a joint custody and parental responsibility plan
- C.G.S. 46b-56d: relocation of parent with minor child
- Regs. Conn. State Agencies 46b-215a-1: child support definitions
- Regs. Conn. State Agencies 46b-215a-2c: child support guidelines
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 Connecticut statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Connecticut attorney.