Child Custody Time Calculator (Ontario)

Shared parenting is commonly used to describe an arrangement where each parent has the child a substantial amount of time — often referenced around the 40% mark — though this is a general guideline, not a fixed legal cutoff. See Shared Parenting.

No. Even with equal time, child support can still be payable, often based on the income difference between parents. See Does 50/50 Parenting Mean No Child Support?

It's generally based on the number of overnights (or, sometimes, hours) each parent has with the child over a set period, though different approaches can be used depending on the situation.

No. This calculator only estimates a time-based percentage. Decision-making responsibility is a separate legal question — see Decision-Making Responsibility.

For an irregular schedule, it can help to average parenting time over a longer period (such as a full year) to get a more representative percentage.

"Joint custody" is an older, less precise term. Ontario family law now generally uses "parenting time" and "decision-making responsibility" as the more specific concepts — see Decision-Making Responsibility.

Many approaches to calculating parenting time focus specifically on overnights rather than daytime visits, though this can vary depending on the context and who is doing the calculating.

It can be a relevant factor, but tax rules around claiming a dependant are a separate question from the family-law parenting-time percentage — a tax professional can advise on your specific situation.

Disagreements about the real breakdown of time are common. Keeping a written record of the actual schedule followed can help, and mediation is often a useful next step if you can't agree.

Use the percentage as general context for a support conversation, not a final answer. See the Child Support Calculator and Shared-Parenting Child Support for the next steps.