Parenting Time Schedules in New Brunswick: Which One Works for Your Family

Choosing a parenting time schedule is one of the most consequential decisions in a New Brunswick separation. It affects your child's daily stability, your relationship with them, and — because of the 40% shared parenting threshold — how child support is calculated. There's no single "best" schedule, but there are proven patterns that NB courts recognize and approve.

The 50/50 Schedules

These give each parent equal time and qualify as shared parenting under the Federal Child Support Guidelines (each parent has the child at least 40% of the time).

Alternating Weeks (Week-On / Week-Off)

The simplest equal-time schedule: your child spends one full week with Parent A, then one full week with Parent B.

• Best for: School-aged children (roughly age 6+), parents who live close to each other and the child's school, cooperative co-parenting relationships
• Exchanges: Once per week (typically Friday after school or Sunday evening)
• Pros: Minimal transitions, long stretches of uninterrupted time, simple to track
• Cons: Younger children may struggle with a full week away from either parent

2-2-5-5 Rotation

The child spends 2 days with Parent A, 2 days with Parent B, then 5 days with Parent A, followed by 5 days with Parent B. The cycle repeats every two weeks.

• Best for: Younger children (ages 3-7) who need more frequent contact with both parents
• Exchanges: Three times per week
• Pros: Children never go more than 5 days without seeing either parent, maintains consistent attachment to both parents
• Cons: More transitions mean more logistics — exchange location, belongings, school coordination

2-2-3 Rotation

The child alternates: 2 days with Parent A, 2 days with Parent B, then 3 days back with Parent A. The following week, it flips.

• Best for: Toddlers and preschoolers who need very frequent contact with both parents
• Exchanges: Three times per week
• Pros: Maximum frequency of contact, no period longer than 3 days without either parent
• Cons: High transition frequency can be disruptive; requires parents to live very close together

The Majority-Time Schedules

When equal time isn't practical or appropriate, these schedules give one parent primary residence while keeping the other parent actively involved.

Alternate Weekends Plus Midweek Visit (~70/30)

The child lives primarily with one parent and spends every other weekend (Friday to Sunday) plus one midweek evening or overnight with the other parent.

• Best for: Families where one parent works irregular hours, parents who live further apart, situations where school stability requires a single primary home
• Parenting time split: Roughly 70/30, which does NOT meet the 40% shared parenting threshold — standard child support Table applies

Alternate Weekends Only (~80/20)

Every other weekend with the non-primary parent, no midweek visits.

• Best for: High-conflict situations, parents who live in different cities, cases where one parent's work schedule makes weekday parenting impractical
• Parenting time split: Roughly 80/20

Holiday and Summer Schedules

NB courts expect your parenting plan to include a specific holiday rotation, not just "we'll work it out." Common approaches:

• Alternating years — Parent A gets Christmas in even years, Parent B in odd years (swap for Easter, March Break, Thanksgiving)
• Split holidays — Christmas Eve with one parent, Christmas Day with the other (same every year, no rotation)
• Extended summer — the non-primary parent gets 2-4 consecutive weeks during summer, with the primary parent keeping the regular weekend schedule during those weeks

The holiday schedule overrides the regular weekly rotation whenever there's a conflict.

The 40% Calculation

If child support is a factor, count your exact days. For a standard 365-day year, 40% equals 146 days. Courts scrutinize schedules that land near this threshold, and will count school/daycare time toward the parent who is the designated emergency contact during those hours.

The New Brunswick Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a parenting time calculator and holiday matrix worksheet that help you build a schedule based on your child's age and verify whether it meets the 40% shared parenting threshold.

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