5-2 Custody and Visitation Schedule Examples

The 5-2 residential schedule has your child living 5 days with one parent and 2 days with the other parent.

Here's the 5-2 schedule in the calendar.

The 5-2 schedule can also be a 2-5 schedule depending on what day the schedule starts. Both repeat weekly, giving one parent about 70% of the time with the child and the other parent about 30%.

Sample 5-2 schedules

Customizing your 5-2 schedule will help you get the best schedule for your situation. Here are some sample 5-2 schedules.

Change the exchange days

Here's a schedule that starts on Saturday, in which the 2-day visit is from Thursday at 9:00 am to Saturday at 9:00 am. You can pick any day to start your schedule so the 2 day visit is when you want. If you start this schedule on Thursday, it's a 2-5 schedule.

Change the exchange times

Here's a schedule that starts on Thursday, in which the 2-day visit goes from 3:00 pm on Tuesday to 7:00 pm on Thursday. You can pick any times for the exchanges. If you start this schedule on Tuesday, it's a 2-5 schedule.

Add an afternoon visit

Here's a schedule where there's an afternoon visit on Sunday in addition to the 2-day visit from Wednesday to Friday. You can have extra visits on any day, and you can have them every week, every other week, or however often you want.

Add an overnight visit

Here's a schedule where the 2-day visit is a little shorter, and there's another overnight visit during the week. You can add extra overnight visits weekly, every other week, or however often you want.

Use 3rd-party time

Here's a schedule that includes 3rd party time to show when the child isn't with either parent. Marking 3rd party time may change each parent's timeshare percentage.

Calculate your time

It can be useful to use a visitation timeshare calculator as you look at options for your schedule so you can see the amount of time each parent has with the children. This can help you make a schedule with the parenting time that you want.

Pros and cons of a 5-2 schedule

Pros:

• The schedule is consistent, simple, and easy to remember.
• Children who need a home base and consistency do well with this schedule.
• Parents don't have to live close to each other.
• The schedule works very well with different types of work schedules.
• Your child spends time with both parents during the week.
• There aren't long periods of time where the child doesn't get to see a parent.
• Each parent can provide daily caretaking for the child.
• You can limit the exchanges and arrange them around the child's school or day care schedule.
• The schedule can work in a high-conflict situation.

Cons:

• The parent with less time may be unhappy with the schedule, leading to more conflict.
• One parent may have the child every weekend.
• If there are midweek exchanges, the parents must communicate with each other about the child's homework and activities.
• If there are midweek exchanges, the parents must both live within a reasonable distance from the child's school.

The easiest way to make a 5-2 schedule

There's a lot to think about when you build a parenting time schedule. You'll want it to address holidays and school breaks, give the right amount of time to each parent, and work for years to come.

The Custody X Change app makes it easy. Just follow the steps to make a custody schedule.

On Step 2, choose "custom repeating rate." Set your schedule to repeat every seven days.

On Step 3, give one parent two or five consecutive days. The app will automatically give the rest of the week to the other parent.

To make a custody schedule quickly and affordably, turn to Custody X Change. You'll get a written schedule and a visual calendar that meet your family's needs, as well as court standards.