Virginia · Alternating weekends
Alternating weekends in Virginia
The child lives primarily with one parent and spends every other weekend with the other. In Virginia this is written into a Parenting Plan, where time with a child is called visitation.
Build this plan for Virginia — free
Template for educational use — not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Laws change; confirm current requirements with a licensed attorney in Virginia.
The rotation
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A | A | A | B | B | A |
| 2 | A | A | A | A | A | A | A |
About that numberThis figure counts the weekend rotation only. Most alternating-weekend plans also split holidays and give the other parent two to four weeks in summer, which brings the real annual share closer to 20% — the figure usually quoted for this schedule.
What Virginia expects
Virginia's statute directs courts to assure frequent and continuing contact and expressly forbids any presumption in favor of either parent.
Governing law: Va. Code § 20-124.2.
The honest trade-off
Long the default in American courts, and still the most common order — but twelve days can pass between weekends, and the weekend parent rarely sees a school night or a homework fight. Most plans soften it with a midweek dinner.