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Calculating Parenting Time Days

For purposes of calculating parenting time days, only the time spent by a child with the non-residential parent is considered. Time that the child is in school or childcare is not considered. (Arizona Child Support Guidelines 11)

To adjust for the costs of parenting time, first determine the total annual amount of parenting time indicated in a court order or parenting plan or by the expectation or historical practice of the parents. Using the following definitions, add together each block of parenting time to arrive at the total number of parenting time days per year. Calculate the number of parenting time days arising from any block of time the child spends with the noncustodial parent in the following manner:

  1. Each block of time begins and ends when the non-residential parent receives or returns the child from the primary residential parent or from a third party with whom the primary residential parent left the child. Third party includes, for example, a school or childcare provider.
  2. Count one day of parenting time for each 24 hours within any block of time.
  3. To the extent there is a period of less than 24 hours remaining in the block of time, after all 24-hour days are counted or for any block of time which is in total less than 24 hours in duration:
    1. A period of 12 hours or more counts as one day.
    2. A period of 6 to 11 hours counts as a half-day.
    3. A period of 3 to 5 hours counts as a quarter-day.
    4. Periods of less than 3 hours may count as a quarter-day if, during those hours, the non-residential parent pays for routine expenses of the child, such as meals.

    EXAMPLES:

    1. Non-residential parent receives the child at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday evening and brings the child to school at 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning, from which primary residential parent picks up the child at 3:00 p.m. on Monday.
      1. 9:00 p.m. Thursday to 9:00 p.m. Sunday is 3 days.
      2. 9:00 p.m. Sunday to 8:00 a.m. Monday is 11 hours, which equals a half day.
      3. Total is 3 ½ days.
    2. Non-residential parent picks the child up from school at 3:00 p.m. Friday and returns the child to school at 8:00 a.m. on Monday.
      1. 3:00 p.m. Friday to 3:00 p.m. Sunday is 2 days.
      2. 3:00 p.m. Sunday to 8:00 a.m. Monday is 17 hours, which equals 1 day.
      3. Total is 3 days.
    3. Non-residential parent picks up child from soccer at noon on Saturday, and returns the child to primary residential parent at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday.
      1. Noon Saturday to noon Sunday is 1 day.
      2. Noon Sunday to 9:00 p.m. Sunday is 9 hours, which equals ½ day.
      3. Total is 1 ½ days.