Custody schedules
The week-on/week-off custody schedule (7-7), explained
Week-on/week-off is the simplest equal-time pattern: seven days with one parent, seven with the other, repeating every fortnight. It has the fewest handovers of any 50/50 arrangement, which is exactly why families like it — and why the handover day itself needs a little planning. Below is the pattern, what makes it work, and how to set it up once so it repeats on its own.
The two-week pattern
Parent A and Parent B simply alternate whole weeks. This example uses a Friday handover.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Handover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Handover Friday after school |
| Week 2 | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | Handover Friday after school |
| Week 3 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Repeats every 2 weeks |
| Week 4 | B | B | B | B | B | B | B | Repeats every 2 weeks |
A = Parent A’s week · B = Parent B’s week. Overall split: 50/50, with 26 handovers a year.
Who it suits
- Children of school age who cope well with longer stretches in one home
- Parents living close enough to share one school and one set of clubs
- Shift or rota work, where a whole free week is easier than split days
- Co-parents who can communicate reliably once a week at handover
When to consider something else
- Babies and toddlers, who usually need more frequent contact with both parents
- Long distances between homes or two different school catchments
- A child who becomes unsettled after several days away from one parent
- Weeks with very uneven work patterns, where a 2-2-3 rotation may fit better
Making the handover day work
Pick one fixed handover moment
Friday after school and Sunday evening are the most common. A fixed day means nobody has to renegotiate each week, and children know exactly when the change happens.
Hand over at a neutral point when it helps
School, nursery or a club is often easier than a doorstep, because the child moves between homes without the two adults needing a conversation.
Write down what travels with the child
Kit bag, medication, homework, chargers, comfort items. A short standing list on the handover event prevents most of the follow-up messages.
Keep a mid-week contact point
A short call or video chat on the off-week Wednesday helps younger children settle, and it is easier to keep when it sits in the shared calendar.
Set it up once in Co-Parenting Harmony
- 1. Create your family — add the children’s first names and invite the co-parent (and a partner, if you want).
- 2. Add the repeating custody pattern — onboarding asks for your week-on/week-off rotation and its start week, so the whole fortnightly cycle fills itself in.
- 3. Mark the handovers — each changeover appears on the dashboard, so both homes see who has the children tonight and what comes next.
- 4. Layer on real life — work shifts, school, clubs and holidays sit alongside it. Anything personal can be marked private, so the other household only ever sees “Busy”.
Changing a week later on? Send a swap proposal instead of a long message thread — the other parent can accept, decline or suggest another time, and an accepted swap becomes calendar events in both homes.
Common questions
What is a week-on/week-off custody schedule?
The children spend seven consecutive days with one parent, then seven with the other, repeating on a two-week cycle. It is an equal, 50/50 arrangement and is sometimes written as 7-7 or alternating weeks.
What day should the handover be?
Most families choose Friday after school or Sunday evening. A Friday handover gives each parent a full weekend with the children; a Sunday handover keeps the school week entirely in one home. Either works as long as it is the same day every fortnight.
How do school holidays fit in?
Many families keep the pattern running through short holidays and agree separate blocks for the summer, then return to the normal rotation. Whatever you agree, put the holiday blocks in the calendar as their own entries so they visibly override the pattern.
Is week-on/week-off suitable for young children?
It is usually recommended for school-age children. Younger children often need more frequent contact with both parents, so a 2-2-3 or alternating-weekends pattern with added mid-week time may suit them better.
This page describes how families commonly organise a 7-7 rotation. It is general scheduling guidance, not legal advice — if you have a court order or are unsure about your arrangement, speak to a family law professional.
Try your rotation in a shared calendar
Set up your family in about a minute, add the week-on/week-off pattern, and invite the other household when you are ready. The 14-day free trial covers the shared calendar, handovers and proposals.