Custody Schedules in Queensland: Age-by-Age Parenting Time Options

Why the Right Schedule Depends on the Child's Age

There is no default custody schedule in Australian family law. The Family Law Amendment Act 2023 removed the old statutory requirement for courts to consider equal time as a starting point, which means parenting schedules are now built around each child's individual developmental needs, not a mathematical target.

What works for a 10-year-old — alternating weeks, a 2-2-3 rotation — can be genuinely harmful for an infant who cannot tolerate extended separations from their primary attachment figure. And what works for a school-aged child often falls apart for a teenager whose social life, part-time job, and study schedule make rigid rotations impractical.

Infants: 0 to 12 Months

Infants are in the process of forming their primary attachment — the secure bond with one caregiver that provides the emotional foundation for all later relationships. Disrupting this process with long separations or overnight stays with the non-primary parent carries genuine developmental risk.

Recommended approach: Frequent, short daytime visits with the non-primary parent — two to three hours, three to four times per week. These visits help the infant build familiarity and trust with the second parent without requiring overnight separation from the primary caregiver.

Overnights are generally not appropriate at this stage. Breastfeeding logistics are a practical factor — parents must coordinate feeds and expressed milk across both households.

Toddlers: 1 to 3 Years

Toddlers are developing independence but remain deeply reliant on routine. Predictable mealtimes, nap times, bedtimes, and comfort objects provide the stability they need. Sudden changes in environment — different bed, different routine, unfamiliar smells — can cause significant distress.

Recommended approach: Frequent daytime visits continuing from the infant stage, with the gradual introduction of a single overnight stay per week once the toddler has a well-established bond with both parents. A "1-6" rotation (one overnight with the non-primary parent, six with the primary parent) is common at this stage.

The key is consistency across both households. Parents need to coordinate nap schedules, bedtime routines, and comfort items so the toddler experiences the same structure regardless of which home they are in.

Primary School: 4 to 11 Years

School-aged children can understand time, follow calendar schedules, and handle extended periods away from either parent. This is the age bracket where 50/50 shared care arrangements become workable — but only if the conditions are right.

Common schedule options:

2-2-3 rotation — two days with Parent A, two days with Parent B, three days with Parent A, then the pattern reverses the following week. This gives each parent roughly equal time and ensures neither goes more than three days without seeing the child. Changeovers happen frequently (three per week), which works well when parents live close together.

3-4-4-3 rotation — three days Parent A, four days Parent B in week one; four days Parent A, three days Parent B in week two. Fewer changeovers than the 2-2-3 and slightly longer blocks with each parent.

Alternating weeks — seven days with one parent, then seven days with the other, often with a midweek dinner visit to the non-residential parent. This is the simplest schedule to manage but involves the longest separations, which may not suit children who become anxious after several days away from either parent.

Every-other-weekend plus a weeknight — the child lives primarily with one parent and spends alternate weekends (Friday to Sunday) and one weeknight (typically Wednesday or Thursday evening) with the other. This creates an approximately 80/20 split and suits families where one parent has the more demanding work schedule or where geographic distance makes midweek changeovers impractical.

The critical requirement for any shared-care arrangement is proximity. If parents live 45 minutes apart, a 2-2-3 rotation with three changeovers per week is logistically punishing for everyone, especially the child. Shared-care schedules work best when both parents live within the same school catchment area.

Adolescents: 12 and Older

Teenagers need flexibility more than structure. Peer relationships, extracurricular commitments, part-time employment, and exam periods make rigid rotations increasingly difficult to maintain.

Recommended approach: Customised schedules with built-in parental flexibility — alternating weeks or a 2-2-5-5 arrangement, with explicit provisions for the teenager to request changes. The focus should shift from strict mathematical time splits toward quality of interaction.

Parents should involve teenagers in the schedule design. Not by asking them to choose a parent, but by discussing practical questions: which household is closer to school? Where can they study more easily? When do they need access to specific equipment or space?

FIFO and Long-Distance Considerations

Queensland's mining economy means many families include a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) parent. FIFO schedules require block-scheduling: the child lives primarily with the non-mining parent during the on-shift work cycle and spends concentrated time (five to seven consecutive overnights) with the FIFO parent during their off-shift rest period.

For parents living in different states or in regional Queensland towns hours apart, weekly rotations are impossible. The schedule is structured around extended blocks during school holidays, supplemented by a regular electronic communication schedule — video calls on specific days and times.

The Queensland Child Custody and Parenting Plan Guide includes visual schedule templates for each age bracket, including FIFO and long-distance arrangements, with sample clauses you can adapt for your parenting plan or consent orders.

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