Quick answer: Maine decides parental rights and responsibilities on the child’s best interest, with the child’s safety and well-being primary, and makes the court explain a refusal of shared primary residential care that a parent asks for. For child support, “substantially equal care” has no overnight number.
This Maine parenting time calculator turns a schedule into overnights a year and percentages, and shows how far it is from an equal split under 19-A M.R.S. 1653. Enter the overnights in a 14-day cycle and any extra nights: the result is arithmetic, and the court decides custody and support.
Maine parenting time and custody rules at a glance
| Rule | What Maine says |
|---|---|
| Best interest | The court applies the best interest of the child standard and considers as primary the child’s safety and well-being in deciding residence and parent-child contact (19-A M.R.S. 1653(3)) |
| Shared rights | When the parents agree to shared parental rights and responsibilities, the court shall make that award unless there is substantial evidence it should not be ordered (1653(2)(A)) |
| Shared residential care | If a parent requests shared primary residential care and the court does not award it, the court must state why it is not in the child’s best interest (1653(2)(D)(1)) |
| Equal consideration | No preference for one parent because of gender, or the child’s age or gender (1653(4)) |
| Child support | “Substantially equal care” means both parents participate substantially equally in the child’s total care; no overnight number (2001, 2006) |
| Moving | At least 30 days’ notice of an intended relocation; a move of more than 60 miles is presumed to disrupt contact (1653(14); 1657(2)) |
How do custody and parenting time work in Maine?
- Joint or sole custody. See joint versus sole custody in Maine.
- Schedules. See parenting time schedules in Maine.
- Moving with a child. See moving away with a child in Maine.
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 each parent’s overnights and percentage and the distance from an equal split of 182.5 nights. It does not calculate child support: use the Maine child support calculator for that, and the Maine divorce timeline calculator for the dates of the case.
Frequently asked questions
Does Maine presume joint custody or equal time?
No presumption of equal time. The court decides on the child’s best interest, and shared parental rights follow if the parents agree unless substantial evidence says otherwise.
How many overnights is substantially equal care in Maine?
The statutes name no number; it means both parents participate substantially equally in the child’s total care.
Does equal care change Maine child support?
Yes. With substantially equal care, the guidelines use a separate calculation: no payment if incomes are equal, and an adjusted calculation if they are not.
Does domestic abuse affect Maine custody?
Yes. Domestic abuse between the parents and a history of child abuse are best-interest factors.
Does this Maine calculator set child support?
No. It counts overnights and percentages; the Maine child support calculator estimates the guideline amount.