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The 5-2-2-5 custody schedule

In a 5-2-2-5 schedule each parent keeps the same two weeknights every week, and the weekends alternate. Put together, it becomes blocks of five nights, two, two and five. People also call it 2-2-5-5; it is the same rotation, just counted from a different day.

nights each fortnight
7 / 7
nights each fortnight
handoffs a fortnight
4
handoffs a fortnight
longest stretch, nights
5
longest stretch, nights

Your 5-2-2-5 calendar

Pattern
First nights go to

5-2-2-5 schedule

Starts Monday 9 November 2026. Handoffs at 5:00pm. Made with ParentHelm.

Your year

5-2-2-5

50%
Parent A · 182 nights
50%
Parent B · 182 nights
Handoffs a month
8.6
Longest with Parent A
5 nights
Longest with Parent B
5 nights

The first four weeks

9Nov
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
1Dec
2
3
4
5
6

Twelve months

  • Parent A
  • Parent B
  • Handoff day
November 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
December
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
January 2027
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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17
18
19
20
21
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31
February
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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17
18
19
20
21
22
23
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25
26
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28
March
1
2
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5
6
7
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9
10
11
12
13
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19
20
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31
April
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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17
18
19
20
21
22
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30
May
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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17
18
19
20
21
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31
June
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
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30
July
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
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25
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27
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29
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31
August
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
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24
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31
September
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
October
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

Keep it, and share it with the other parent

Free. Both of you see the same calendar, on any phone.

How a fortnight works

  1. Monday and Tuesday nights are always with parent A.
  2. Wednesday and Thursday nights are always with parent B.
  3. Friday to Sunday alternates: parent A one weekend, parent B the next.
  4. So A has Friday through Tuesday (five nights) in one week, and B has Wednesday through Sunday (five nights) in the next.

Who it suits

  • School-age children with weekly activities: the Tuesday swim club is always with the same parent.
  • Parents whose work patterns are fixed on certain weekdays.
  • Families who want 50/50 time with fewer handoffs than 2-2-3.

What to watch for

  • Five nights apart from one parent can be long for very young children.
  • Because the weekdays are fixed, a parent who travels on Mondays needs a swap every week, which is a sign another pattern fits better.

The handoff that does the work

Most handoffs in 5-2-2-5 happen at school: the parent who has Tuesday night drops the children off on Wednesday morning, and the other parent collects. That makes it a good fit when meeting face to face is hard. Four handoffs a fortnight, against six in 2-2-3.

Fixed weeknights and the school week

The biggest practical difference from 2-2-3 is predictability. Parents can plan a regular evening shift, a standing dinner with grandparents or a weekly lesson knowing which home the children will be in. Holidays and one-off changes are better handled as swaps than by changing the pattern.

Questions

Is 5-2-2-5 the same as 2-2-5-5?

Yes. It is one fourteen-night rotation. Starting the count on Monday makes it 2-2-5-5; starting on the Friday of a long block makes it 5-2-2-5.

Is 5-2-2-5 equal time?

Yes, seven nights each per fortnight.

Who usually has which weeknights?

Whatever works for your jobs and the children’s activities. In the builder, “First nights go to” decides who has Monday and Tuesday.

Compare: 2-2-3 custody schedule, Week on, week off, 3-4-4-3 custody schedule, or see all schedules side by side.

ParentHelm keeps a dated record of your schedule, swaps, expenses and messages. It does not give legal advice, and it is not a court-approved or court-mandated service. For advice about custody or a parenting plan, talk to a family lawyer or mediator where you live.