60/40 Parenting Schedule: How It Works in Australia

A 60/40 parenting schedule means one parent has the children approximately 9 nights per fortnight and the other has 5 nights. It's one of the most common arrangements in Australian family law — particularly when one parent is the primary caregiver during school weeks and the other has extended weekend time.

Here's how it works in practice, including the child support implications.

What 60/40 Actually Looks Like

A 60/40 split translates to approximately 219 nights per year for the majority parent and 146 nights for the minority parent. In fortnightly terms: 9 nights with one parent, 5 with the other.

Common 60/40 Variations

Every-weekend model (5:9)

• Parent A: Monday to Friday (school nights)
• Parent B: Friday after school to Sunday evening, plus one midweek overnight (e.g., Wednesday)
• This gives Parent A 9 nights and Parent B 5 nights per fortnight

Extended weekend model

• Parent A: Monday to Thursday
• Parent B: Thursday after school to Monday morning (drop at school)
• Gives Parent B 4 consecutive nights per fortnight, with additional midweek contact to reach 5-6

Block rotation (for older children)

• Parent A: 9 consecutive nights
• Parent B: 5 consecutive nights
• Less disruption from constant switching, but longer gaps between seeing each parent

How 60/40 Affects Child Support

Services Australia calculates child support using overnight care percentages. At a 60/40 split:

• The majority parent (60%, ~219 nights/year) has approximately 60% care
• The minority parent (40%, ~146 nights/year) has approximately 40% care

Both parents fall within the "shared care" band (35-65%), which means each receives a cost percentage credit based on their exact care share. At 40% care (146 nights), the minority parent receives roughly a 34% cost credit. At 60% care (219 nights), the majority parent receives roughly a 74% cost credit.

The critical threshold to understand: dropping below 128 nights per year (35% care) moves a parent out of "shared care" and into "regular care" — a flat 24% cost credit regardless of whether they have 52 nights or 127. That's a significant cliff-edge in child support calculations.

When 60/40 Works Best

A 60/40 arrangement suits families where:

• One parent works full-time and the other manages school routines — the working parent gets extended weekends and holidays rather than trying to manage school-night logistics
• Distance between homes is moderate — close enough for midweek contact but not close enough for daily switching
• Children are primary-school age — old enough for regular overnights but young enough to benefit from one stable school-night base
• Both parents want meaningful time but recognise that equal time (50/50) doesn't suit their work schedules or the children's routines

60/40 vs Other Common Splits

Making 60/40 Work in Western Australia

Since the 2024 reforms, the Family Court of Western Australia doesn't start from any presumption about time allocation. A 60/40 arrangement isn't a default — it's one option the court or parents can choose based on the child's best interests.

When drafting a 60/40 schedule (whether as a parenting plan or consent orders), specify:

• Exact changeover days and times (not "roughly Thursday")
• Who handles transport on each changeover
• How school holiday time is divided (most 60/40 families split holidays 50/50 to balance overall contact)
• What happens during long weekends and public holidays
• Transition rules if the child starts high school or circumstances change

Vague language like "the child will spend the majority of time with Parent A" invites conflict. The court expects precision — and so should you.

Getting the Schedule on Paper

If you've agreed on a 60/40 split with your co-parent, the next step is documenting it thoroughly enough to either function as a standalone parenting plan or satisfy the Family Court's Form 11 requirements for consent orders.

The Western Australia Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a parenting schedule calculator worksheet, pre-written clauses for each common arrangement (including 60/40 variations), and step-by-step instructions for converting your agreed schedule into legally binding consent orders through the WA eCourts Portal.

See more Western Australia guides →