Quick answer: Kansas decides legal custody, residency and parenting time on the child’s best interests, and lists joint legal custody first in the order of preference. For child support, a parent with 35% or more of the child’s time may get an adjustment of 10%, 20% or 30%, and equal parenting time has its own formula.
This Kansas parenting time calculator turns a schedule into overnights a year and a percentage, then looks up the adjustment in the table in the Kansas Child Support Guidelines. Enter the overnights in a 14-day cycle and any extra nights: the result is arithmetic, and the court decides custody and support.
Kansas parenting time and custody rules at a glance
| Rule | What Kansas says |
|---|---|
| Best interests | The court determines legal custody, residency and parenting time in accordance with the best interests of the child (K.S.A. 23-3201) |
| Factors | Eighteen listed factors, including each parent’s role before and after separation, the child’s wishes and age, domestic abuse, the parents’ ability to cooperate and the locations of homes, work and school (23-3203) |
| Legal custody | Joint legal custody is first in the order of preference; sole legal custody needs specific findings that joint is not in the child’s best interests (23-3206) |
| Residency | The child may reside with one or both parents on a basis consistent with the best interests; parties submit an agreed or proposed parenting plan (23-3207) |
| Child support adjustment | 35% or more of the child’s time: the court shall decide on an adjustment; table 10% for 35-39%, 20% for 40-44%, 30% for 45-49% (Guidelines IV.H.2) |
| Moving | Written notice at least 30 days before changing the child’s residence or removing the child from the state for over 90 days (23-3222) |
How do custody and parenting time work in Kansas?
- Joint or sole custody. See joint versus sole custody in Kansas.
- Schedules. See parenting time schedules in Kansas.
- Moving with a child. See moving away with a child in Kansas.
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, finds the parent with fewer overnights and shows that parent’s percentage and the adjustment the guideline table suggests. The guidelines exclude school and day care time from the percentage, which the calculator cannot do. It does not calculate child support: use the Kansas child support calculator for that, and the Kansas divorce timeline calculator for the dates of the case.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas presume joint custody?
Joint legal custody is first in the order of preference, but the court decides on the child’s best interests and may order sole legal custody with specific findings.
How much parenting time starts the Kansas child support adjustment?
35% or more of the child’s time with the parent not having primary residency.
How big is the Kansas parenting time adjustment?
The table suggests 10% for 35% to 39%, 20% for 40% to 44% and 30% for 45% to 49% of the parent’s proportionate share.
Does domestic abuse affect Kansas custody?
Evidence of domestic abuse is one of the factors in deciding legal custody, residency and parenting time.
Does this Kansas calculator set child support?
No. It counts overnights and looks up the adjustment; the Kansas child support calculator estimates the guideline amount.