Shared careIndependent estimateNot GOV.UK
Shared-Care Nights Calculator
Written by James Whitfield · Last reviewed 29 October 2026
Turn a regular overnight pattern into nights a year, see which CMS shared-care band it falls in, and how many nights away the next band is. The CMS counts the overnight stays agreed or expected over the next 12 months.
The child's overnight stays with the paying parent
Nothing you enter is stored.
Nights a year52
CMS band52 to 103
Reduction for this childone-seventh
Next band52 more nights (from 104)
Regular nights = nights per fortnight × 26. A planning count, not a CMS decision: the CMS decides which nights count.
The shared-care bands
| Nights a year | Reduction | Common pattern |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 51 | None | Daytime contact only |
| 52 to 103 | One-seventh | Every other weekend (2 nights a fortnight = 52) |
| 104 to 155 | Two-sevenths | Every weekend (2 nights a week = 104) |
| 156 to 174 | Three-sevenths | 3 nights a week (156) |
| 175 or more | One-half, plus £7 a week off for this child | Week about (7 nights a fortnight = 182) |
The bands come from the Child Support Act 1991, Schedule 1, paragraph 7, which uses "175 or more" for the top band; some older DWP wording says "more than 175", but the Act decides.
Before you rely on the count
- The CMS uses the nights agreed or expected over the next 12 months, usually based on what has happened before. If parents agree there is shared care but not how much, it may assume one night a week.
- Equal overnight care does not automatically mean nothing is paid. Where care is equal, the CMS looks at who provides day-to-day care.
- On the £7 flat rate because of a benefit, 52 or more nights a year means nothing is paid for that child.
- Keep a diary of overnight stays. It is evidence if the arrangement is disputed.
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