The parenting schedule is the document your children will actually live inside. It’s not abstract — it determines where they sleep on Tuesday nights, who takes them to soccer practice, and which parent has them on Christmas morning. Getting it right matters more than almost anything else in the divorce process.
Arkansas law has shifted significantly toward shared parenting. The courts no longer default to one parent having the children most of the time while the other parent gets occasional weekend visits. Today, the starting presumption is joint physical custody — roughly equal time with each parent. That’s a meaningful change, and it affects how you should think about negotiating your schedule.
What Arkansas Courts Expect in a Parenting Schedule
Every divorce or custody case involving children in Arkansas must include a written Parenting Plan filed with the court. The plan must address, at minimum: the regular weekly schedule, holiday and school break arrangements, how exchanges happen, and how parents will communicate about the children.
Courts in Benton County and Washington County take this document seriously. A plan that says “parents will share time reasonably” will not be approved. Judges want specificity — because vague plans become sources of conflict the moment any goodwill between the parents erodes.
The more specific your schedule, the less room there is for dispute. That specificity protects both parents and, more importantly, protects the children from being caught in the middle of recurring arguments about who was supposed to have them when.
Common Schedule Structures in Northwest Arkansas
There is no single “standard” Arkansas visitation schedule. The right schedule depends on the children’s ages, both parents’ work schedules, how far apart the parents live, and the children’s school and activity commitments. That said, certain structures appear frequently in Benton and Washington County cases.
The 50/50 Week-On/Week-Off Schedule
The simplest equal-time structure. Children spend one full week with Parent A, then one full week with Parent B, alternating continuously. Exchange typically happens on a consistent day — often Friday after school or Sunday evening.
This schedule works well when both parents live close to each other and close to the children’s school. It’s predictable, easy to track, and minimizes the number of exchanges. It works less well for young children who struggle with seven consecutive days away from either parent.
The 2-2-3 Schedule
A more contact-heavy approach. Children spend two days with Parent A, two days with Parent B, then three days with Parent A — then the pattern flips the following week. Over two weeks, each parent gets exactly 50% of the time.
This schedule reduces the longest stretch any parent goes without seeing the children to three days. It’s popular for younger children and for parents who want more frequent contact. The tradeoff is more exchanges per week, which can create friction if the co-parenting relationship is tense.
The 5-2-2-5 Schedule
Children spend five days with Parent A, then two days with Parent B, then two days with Parent A, then five days with Parent B. Exchange days are consistent each week.
This structure gives each parent a consistent mid-week pattern and a consistent extended weekend pattern. Many families find it easier to plan around than the alternating week schedule.
Primary Residence with Extended Parenting Time
When a true 50/50 schedule isn’t workable — because of distance between homes, one parent’s irregular work schedule, or very young children — one parent may serve as the primary residence parent while the other has substantial parenting time. “Substantial” in Arkansas courts means more than the old every-other-weekend model. Judges typically expect the non-primary parent to have parenting time multiple times per week.
| Schedule | Equal Time? | Best For | Exchange Frequency |
| Week on/Week off | Yes (50/50) | School-age children, parents living nearby | 2x per week |
| 2-2-3 | Yes (50/50) | Younger children, high-contact preference | 5x per week |
| 5-2-2-5 | Yes (50/50) | Parents wanting consistent weekday/weekend pattern | 4x per week |
| Primary + extended | No | Distance, infant/toddler, irregular work schedules | Varies |
Holidays and School Breaks
The regular weekly schedule gives way to a separate holiday schedule, and this is where the details matter most. I’ve seen more post-divorce conflicts arise over holiday scheduling than over almost anything else. Address it comprehensively now.
Your parenting plan should specify, for each of the following, which parent has the children and on what rotation:
- Thanksgiving (typically alternates annually)
- Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (often split between the two, or alternated)
- New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
- Spring break (alternates annually, or split)
- Summer break (often a substantial block for each parent, with the primary residence parent retaining some time)
- Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (typically each parent has their respective holiday)
- Each parent’s birthday
- The children’s birthdays
- Memorial Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, and other three-day weekends
The plan should also address who claims the children on their federal taxes, which parent’s insurance covers the children as primary, and how extraordinary expenses — medical, dental, extracurricular — are divided.
When the Schedule Needs to Change
Life changes. A parent gets a new job with different hours. A child’s activity schedule shifts. One parent relocates. When these changes happen, there are two paths: informal agreement, or formal modification.
Informal agreement works when both parents communicate well and trust each other to honor what they’ve agreed to. Many co-parents operate this way — trading days, accommodating schedule conflicts, making adjustments by text. This is fine as long as it’s working.
Formal modification becomes necessary when informal agreement breaks down, or when the change is significant enough that you want court protection. To modify a parenting schedule in Arkansas, you must show a material change in circumstances since the last order — something substantial that makes the existing schedule no longer workable or in the child’s best interest.
If one parent wants to relocate more than a certain distance from the current residence, that triggers a specific modification process. Arkansas courts take relocation seriously because it directly affects the other parent’s parenting time, and approval is not automatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my child refuses to go to the other parent’s house? A child’s preference matters more as they get older, but a parent cannot simply honor that refusal without legal authority to do so. If your child is refusing visits, the right step is to document the situation, communicate with the other parent, and if necessary seek a modification or legal guidance — not to unilaterally stop the visits. Courts expect both parents to actively encourage the relationship with the other parent.
Can we modify our schedule without going back to court? You can make informal changes by mutual agreement, but the court order remains what it says. If you want those changes to be legally binding and enforceable, you need a formal modification approved by the court. Verbal agreements don’t hold up when one parent later claims they never agreed to the change.
What does “right of first refusal” mean in a parenting plan? Some plans include a right of first refusal provision — if one parent needs childcare for more than a certain number of hours during their parenting time, they must offer the other parent the opportunity to care for the children before using a third-party babysitter. This provision can reduce childcare costs and increase each parent’s time with the children, but it can also create friction if not written carefully.
How does the schedule change as the child gets older? Parenting plans often include built-in adjustments for life stages — different schedules for infants versus school-age children versus teenagers. A schedule that worked when your child was four may need revisiting when they’re twelve and have their own social life and activities. Courts recognize this, and reasonable modifications based on a child’s changing needs are generally looked upon favorably.
If you need help drafting a parenting plan or modifying an existing one, our office in Lowell serves families throughout Benton and Washington Counties.
Book a Free Consultation (479) 717-6300
See also: Child Custody · Family Law · Divorce Lawyer
