Child Maintenance Calculator Overnight Stays

Under Regulation 46 of the 2012 Regulations, shared care is evaluated strictly by night counts. A night counts if the child stays overnight with the paying parent, regardless of whether the stay occurs on a weekday or weekend. The five statutory bands establish progressive discounts:

Staying 51 nights provides zero discount, whereas reaching 52 nights immediately unlocks a 1/7th discount, saving hundreds of pounds. Reaching 104 nights doubles the discount to 2/7ths, and reaching 175 nights cuts the payment in half plus £7 per child per week.

Many parents assume they only receive credit for alternate weekends (26 weekends = 52 nights). However, factoring in half of all school holidays (typically 1 to 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 to 2 weeks at Easter, and 2 to 3 weeks during summer) adds another 28 to 35 nights, lifting the total to 80 to 87 nights per year.

Adding a single regular midweek overnight stay every other week (13 nights) can elevate a parent across the 104-night threshold into Tier 2 (2/7ths discount), dramatically reducing monthly outgoings.

Where care is shared equally (175+ nights, usually alternating weeks or 2-2-3 rotas), liability is cut by 50% plus an additional £7/week per child under Regulation 46. Under Regulation 50, if parents share day-to-day care exactly equally, the parent who does NOT receive Child Benefit is classed as the paying parent.

Courts and the CMS look at who handles GP appointments, school uniform purchasing, and primary administrative duties when determining primary carer status in disputed equal care arrangements.