New Hampshire Custody Schedules and Holiday Rotation

Since January 2025, New Hampshire presumes that approximately equal parenting time is in the child's best interests. The threshold: each parent must have residential responsibility for at least 146 overnights per year — more than 40% of the annual schedule. That presumption shapes which custody schedules New Hampshire courts are likely to approve and which ones you should propose in your parenting plan.

Schedules That Meet the 146-Overnight Threshold

2-2-5-5 Schedule. Monday and Tuesday with Parent A, Wednesday and Thursday with Parent B, then the three-day weekend (Friday through Sunday) alternates between parents. This produces exactly 182.5 overnights per parent annually — a true 50/50 split. It's the most common schedule for school-age children (ages 4-12) because the mid-week consistency helps maintain routines. The child always knows which parent handles Monday homework and which handles Wednesday activities.

3-4-4-3 Schedule. Three fixed days with one parent, four with the other, then the pattern reverses the next week. Also hits the 50/50 mark. Some families prefer this because it creates slightly longer stretches with each parent compared to the 2-2-5-5.

Alternating Weeks (7-on/7-off). One full week with Parent A, then one full week with Parent B. Most common for teenagers who benefit from fewer transitions. Exchanges typically happen Friday after school or Sunday evening. This schedule works well when parents live in the same school district but can be hard on younger children who struggle with a full week away from either parent.

5-2-2-5 Schedule. Five days with one parent, two with the other, then reverse. Functionally similar to the 2-2-5-5 but some families find the fixed weekday assignments easier to remember.

Schedules for Special Situations

Infant and toddler plans (ages 0-3). Courts and child development experts generally recommend frequent, shorter visits rather than overnight stays for very young children. A typical plan might include three blocks of 2-6 hours per week with the non-residential parent, with overnights introduced gradually as the child reaches preschool age. These plans don't hit the 146-overnight threshold initially but are designed to transition into an equal-time schedule as the child matures.

Long-distance plans. When parents live far apart, the child typically resides with the local parent during the school year. The distant parent receives the bulk of summer break (6-8 weeks), alternating Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations, and all of spring break. These plans won't meet the 40% threshold during the school year, but courts accept them when geographic distance makes equal time impractical.

High-conflict plans. For situations with domestic violence history or extreme parental conflict, courts may order a strictly fixed schedule with no-contact exchanges — dropoffs and pickups happen at neutral locations like schools, libraries, or supervised exchange centers. Communication is restricted to written channels (email or a court-approved co-parenting app).

Building the Holiday Rotation

Your parenting plan must specifically address holidays, or you'll default to the routine schedule — which creates conflict every year. Standard NH holiday rotations alternate between parents on a yearly cycle.

The standard approach: Divide holidays into two groups and alternate them annually.

Group 1 (Parent A in even years, Parent B in odd years): Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve through noon Christmas Day, spring break, Memorial Day weekend, Mother's Day.

Group 2 (Parent B in even years, Parent A in odd years): Christmas Day noon through New Year's Day, winter break second half, Labor Day weekend, July 4th, Father's Day.

Birthdays: The child's birthday typically goes to whichever parent has the child on the routine schedule, with the other parent getting a celebration dinner within a few days. Some plans split the birthday itself — morning with one parent, evening with the other.

Three-day weekends: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, and Columbus Day weekends often go to whichever parent has the routine weekend, or you can alternate them separately.

Summer vacation: Most equal-time plans split summer into two-week blocks, alternating between parents. Specify deadlines for submitting vacation requests (April 1 is common) and a tiebreaker if both parents want the same weeks.

Putting the Schedule in Your Plan

When writing Section C of your parenting plan (Form NHJB-2064-F), be specific. Don't write "every other weekend" — write "Friday at 5:00 PM to Sunday at 6:00 PM on alternating weekends beginning [date]." Include the exchange location and who handles transportation for each transition.

The New Hampshire Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a holiday rotation worksheet, age-appropriate schedule templates, and an overnight counting tool to verify your plan meets the 146-overnight threshold before you file.

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