Quick answer: Minnesota presumes, rebuttably, that joint legal custody is in a child’s best interests when either or both parents ask for it, and presumes a child receives at least 25 percent of the parenting time with each parent. There is no presumption for or against joint physical custody. Child support uses a parenting expense adjustment built on overnights cubed.
This Minnesota parenting time calculator turns a schedule into overnights a year, checks the 25 percent presumption in Minn. Stat. 518.175 and shows the weights in the adjustment of Minn. Stat. 518A.36. Enter the overnights in a 14-day cycle and any extra nights: the result is arithmetic, and the court decides custody, parenting time and support.
Minnesota parenting time and custody rules at a glance
| Rule | What Minnesota says |
|---|---|
| Best interests | Twelve factors with detailed findings on each; no preference for either parent on the basis of gender (Minn. Stat. 518.17, subd. 1) |
| Joint legal custody | A rebuttable presumption that it is in the child’s best interests on request of either or both parties; reversed if domestic abuse has occurred between the parents (518.17, subd. 1(b)(9)) |
| Joint physical custody | No presumption for or against, and it does not require an absolutely equal division of time (518.17, subd. 1(b)(7)-(8)) |
| Parenting time floor | In the absence of other evidence, a rebuttable presumption that a child receives at least 25% of the parenting time with each parent (518.175, subd. 1(g)) |
| Child support | The parenting expense adjustment cubes each parent’s overnights and weights the shares of basic support by the other parent’s cubed overnights (518A.36) |
| Moving | A parent with whom the child resides may not move the child to another state without the other parent’s consent or a court order; the mover has the burden (518.175, subd. 3) |
How do custody and parenting time work in Minnesota?
- Joint or sole custody. See joint versus sole custody in Minnesota.
- Schedules. See parenting time schedules in Minnesota.
- Moving with a child. See moving away with a child in Minnesota.
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, whether it meets the 25 percent presumption, and the two weights in the adjustment formula. It does not calculate child support, which also needs each parent’s share of basic support: use the Minnesota child support calculator for that, and the Minnesota divorce timeline calculator for the dates of the case.
Frequently asked questions
Does Minnesota presume joint custody?
Joint legal custody is rebuttably presumed in the child’s best interests on request of either or both parents; there is no presumption for or against joint physical custody.
How many overnights is the Minnesota 25 percent presumption?
25% of 365 is 91.25, so each parent presumptively receives at least 92 overnights in the absence of other evidence.
Does shared time change Minnesota child support?
Yes. The parenting expense adjustment weights each parent’s share of basic support by the other parent’s overnights cubed.
Does domestic abuse affect Minnesota custody?
Yes. A rebuttable presumption against joint legal or physical custody applies if domestic abuse has occurred between the parents.
Does this Minnesota calculator set child support?
No. It counts overnights and shows the adjustment weights; the Minnesota child support calculator estimates the guideline amount.