California Custodial Percentage Timeshare
Calculating custody percentage is a very important aspect of divorce. Here’s how to calculate custody percentage in California.
Custody percentage is the percentage of time that a parent has custody of their child over the course of a year. This percentage has a large, direct impact on child support payments. The state has a chart that provides the custody percentage for common timeshare plans, or a parent can add up the hours of visitation per year, divide by 8,760 (total hours in a year), and then multiply that by 100 to determine the custody percentage.
What does custody percentage mean?
In California, when spouses with children divorce, it is important that they create a parenting plan describing who the child will be living with and when. The percentage of the year that the child lives with a particular parent is known as the custody percentage, custodial percentage, or custodial timeshare percentage. For instance, if parents create a timeshare plan that splits custody evenly, then each parent’s custody percentage is 50%.
The specific number is important because it is directly used in California courts’ calculation of child support payments. The state’s child support guideline calculator includes a field to input the custody percentage of the given parent. The state’s guideline formula will determine that the parent with higher income should pay more in child support as their custody percentage decreases.
Related: Cost of Child Support in California
Calculating custody percentages
To calculate the custody percentage manually, add up the number of hours that the child will be in the custody of the given parent per year. Then, divide that number by 8,760 (the number of hours in a year), and then multiply that number by 100. The resulting number will be the custody percentage.
With more complicated parenting plans, this task may become difficult. Thankfully, the state’s child support guideline calculator includes a chart with many common timeshare plans and their respective percentages. To view this chart when using the calculator, click “advanced” under the “Dependent Information” heading.
Examples of parenting plan percentages
- Some parents choose to alternate weekends. This means that the child lives with the custodial parent on weekdays, and every other weekend, they live with the noncustodial parent. The custody percentage of the noncustodial parent would be 14%.
- Other parents may seek out a more equal timeshare arrangement by granting custody to the noncustodial parent for 3 days out of the week. The custody percentage of the noncustodial parent would be 43%.
- Some plans may include summer-specific arrangements, such as alternating weekends and then providing the noncustodial parent 2 weeks of custody during the summer. The custody percentage of the noncustodial parent would be 18%.
Related: How to Make a Parenting Time Schedule in California
If you require assistance with developing a timeshare plan for your particular situation or require assistance with the divorce process in general, contact Her Lawyer to be put in touch with an expert child custody attorney.
FAQs about calculating custody percentages in California
What does “custody percentage” mean?
When spouses with children separate, they create a parenting plan that details who the child will live with and when. The percentage of time out of the year that a child is in the custody of a parent is known as their custody percentage.
Why does custody percentage matter?
When determining child support, courts will use the custody percentage as an integral part of this calculation.
Where can I find the custody percentages of common timeshare plans?
Go to the state’s child support guideline calculator, and click “start”. Then, click “advanced” under the “Dependent Information” heading.
How can I manually calculate timeshare percentages?
Determine the number of hours out of the year that the child will be in the parent’s custody. Then, divide by 8,760 and multiply by 100. The resulting number is the custody percentage.
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