Standard Parenting Time Schedules and Court Guidelines in Florida
Florida has no standard parenting time schedule in its statutes. The parenting plan sets the time-sharing schedule, and for child support a parent with at least 20% of the overnights, 73 a year, has a substantial amount of time.
Does Florida have a standard parenting time schedule?
Not in the statutes. A time-sharing schedule is a timetable that must be included in the parenting plan and that specifies the time, including overnights and holidays, the child spends with each parent; the parents develop and agree to it and the court approves it, or the court establishes it (Fla. Stat. 61.046). The schedule itself is set in your agreement or the court’s order.
What is the 20 percent line in Florida?
A child support rule, not a custody schedule. For the shared-time adjustment, “substantial amount of time” means that a parent exercises time-sharing at least 20 percent of the overnights of the year (61.30(11)(b)8). Twenty percent of 365 is 73 overnights.
| Pattern (other parent) | Overnights a year | Share of the year | Both at 20% or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 of 14 nights | 26 | 7.1% | No |
| 2 of 14 nights | 52 | 14.2% | No |
| 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 |
These are our counts of a repeating 14-day pattern before extra summer or holiday nights.
How is support adjusted when time is shared in Florida?
Each parent’s support obligation, calculated without day care and health insurance, is multiplied by 1.5; each is then multiplied by the other parent’s percentage of overnights; the difference is the transfer, adjusted for day care and health insurance; the court may deviate on the listed factors, including whether a parent will actually exercise the schedule (61.30(11)(b)). The Florida child support calculator applies the formula, and the Florida parenting time calculator counts the overnights.
What if a parent has less than 20 percent in Florida?
The shared-time formula does not apply, but a time-sharing arrangement where the child spends a significant amount of time, though less than 20 percent of the overnights, with one parent can be a reason to deviate because it reduces the other parent’s expenses (61.30(11)(a)10).
What if a parent does not use the time in Florida?
A parent’s failure to regularly exercise the schedule, not caused by the other parent, that resulted in a time-sharing adjustment of support is deemed a substantial change of circumstances for modifying the support award, retroactive to the date the parent first failed to exercise the schedule (61.30(11)(c)). Keep records of the actual overnights.
How are day care and health insurance handled in shared time in Florida?
They are taken out of the first calculation and added back afterward: the court calculates each parent’s net amounts owed for day care and health insurance coverage and credits or debits that amount against the transfer between the parents (61.30(11)(b)5-6).
What should a written schedule cover in Florida?
- 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 uses the right method.
- Transportation, communication and decision-making.
- How changes are agreed and put in writing.
What if the parents cannot agree in Florida?
The court decides on the child’s best interests and the 20 factors, starting from the equal-time presumption. See the uncontested versus contested divorce in Florida post for how agreed and disputed cases differ.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a standard parenting schedule in Florida?
No statewide schedule appears in the statutes; the parenting plan sets the time-sharing schedule.
How many overnights is 20% in Florida?
73 overnights a year.
Does a 5-in-14 schedule reach the Florida 20% line?
Yes. It is about 130 overnights, 35.6%.
Does a 1-in-14 schedule reach the Florida 20% line?
No. It is about 26 overnights, 7.1%.
Who sets the schedule if Florida parents cannot agree?
The court, on the child’s best interests, starting from the equal-time presumption.
Official sources
- Fla. Stat. 61.13: support of children; parenting and time-sharing; powers of court
- Fla. Stat. 61.13001: parental relocation with a child
- Fla. Stat. 61.30: child support guidelines
- Fla. Stat. 61.046: definitions, including parenting plan and time-sharing schedule
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 Florida statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Florida attorney.