Shared Custody Schedules in Switzerland: 2-2-3, 7-7, 5-2 - a Complete Guide

The most common custody schedules in French-speaking Switzerland

In French-speaking Switzerland, judges and family mediators generally propose several shared custody models. Choosing the right schedule is crucial for the children's well-being and for coordination between the two households.

The alternating week (7-7)

The 7-7 schedule is the most common in Switzerland. The child spends one full week with one parent, then one full week with the other. This model is particularly suited to school-age children, who benefit from weekly stability.

• Advantages: simple organisation, few transitions, adaptable to professional constraints.
• Ideal for: children aged 6-7 and older, parents living close to one another.

The 2-2-3 schedule

The 2-2-3 model is a two-week cycle: the child spends 2 days with parent A, 2 days with parent B, then 3 days with parent A - and the sequence reverses the following week.

• Advantages: the child never spends more than 3 consecutive days away from a parent.
• Ideal for: young children (3-6 years old) who need frequent contact with both parents.

The 5-2 schedule

The child lives mainly with one parent from Monday to Friday and spends the weekend with the other. This model suits situations where one parent has significant professional constraints during the week.

• Advantages: maximum school stability, very predictable organisation.
• Ideal for: families where one parent works far away or has irregular hours.

The 4-3 schedule and other cycles

The 4-3 model (4 days with one parent, 3 days with the other) offers a slightly asymmetric balance. Other cycles such as 3-4-4-3 or 2-2-5-5 allow you to adapt to more complex family situations.

How to choose the right schedule?

The choice of custody schedule depends on several key factors:

• The children's age: the younger they are, the more frequent transitions help maintain the bond with each parent.
• The distance between households: a 2-2-3 schedule requires parents to live reasonably close to each other (ideally in the same neighbourhood or municipality).
• Professional constraints: irregular hours, frequent travel or night work strongly influence which model is workable.
• The school calendar: school hours and extracurricular activities can dictate the most practical transition day.

School holidays: a chapter of their own

In French-speaking Switzerland, each canton has its own school calendar. Holidays often follow a different rule than the usual schedule: alternating by even/odd year for the long summer break, and a fixed split for Christmas and Easter.

CoParent.ch automatically includes the school holidays for the cantons of VD, GE, NE, FR, VS, JU, BE and ZH. You can define specific rules for each holiday period, independently of your base schedule - with variants depending on even and odd years.