Please confirm this calculation with me?!

clearingout

Hello,
To save us yet another argument, can someone just confirm I have calculated the number of nights my ex has the children with me, please? I have a habit of making a right mess of this so to avoid any problems.....

Ex has boys every other weekend and one night in the week plus half of all school holidays. This is written into a Consent Order his solicitor drew up and which he signed before I did.

Every other weekend and one night = 4 nights on a two week rota = 2 nights per week x 52 weeks = 104 nights.

School holidays: 13 weeks per year in total (6 in the summer, 3 x 1 week half terms = 3 weeks, 2 x weeks at Easter, 2 x weeks at Xmas...6+3+2+2 = 13). 13 x 7 days = a total of 91 days/2 = 45.5

104 + 45.5 = 149.5 or 150 nights per year to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Is that correct? Am I missing anything? I have not included the potential for extra days at Xmas (2 at the most, I guess) as this would even out over a 2 year basis and wouldn't take him over the 155 threshold anyway - should I add this in? Is there anything at all that an NRP can moan about with this? (I don't mean to be rude to NRP's - I genuinely want to know if this is how you would calculate it before I open Pandora's Box again...)

I know I have just asked you to confirm a blinking obvious calculation, but my ex is the type that can sell snow to the eskimos so just need to be clear that I have this right!

Loopy_Girl

Oooh I love a good maths problem solving ('tis my nerdy side:o)

Have written the calcs down myself clearingout, and I would agree 100% with you but just to clarify, I am assuming that he gets them one night every week (so 2 days in your 2 weeks period), and then on his weekend he gets them for the 2 nights (so another 2 nights in your 2 week period) hence your 4 nights in a 2 week period - is this right?

clearingout

Yes, that's right. Easier to work with even numbers over two weeks than odd numbers over one week!

Great. We agree. Thank you! I shall send this to the CSA with calculations - apparently last time he queried everything down to the last minute and drove the caseworker insane! Not that he pays it - you'd think ifyou're going to hassle in that way, it would be for something rather than nothing. But hey ho, holding up my end of the bargain!

shell_542

How many nights does he have on a weekend?

shell_542

And on the weekends he has them, does he still have them for the week night too?

shell_542

Does he have half of half terms?

clearingout

He has 2 nights on very other weekend (Friday - Saturday) and every Thursday night. So week one it's one night only, week 2 it's 3 nights in a row. That's 4 nights every 2 weeks or 2 nights a week x 52 weeks = 104 nights. Yes?!

Yes, he has half of half term. I have calculated holidays as 13 weeks in total and halving
that as that seems fair? Yes or no? He might potentially have them more I guess, with INSET days but this seems the fairest way of doing it? Am I missing something?

OOh...perhaps I am missing something as weekends are already calculated into the holidays, aren't they?

So is the calculation 2 nights a week x 52 weeks minus 13 holiday weeks? So 39 weeks x 2 = 78 nights plus half of the holidays as I've calculated holidays on a 7 day basis, not 5....13 weeks x 7 = a potential of 91 nights/2 = 44.5

Grand total of 78 + 44.5 = 122.5 or 123.

Agreed?!

Or the other way round, perhaps?
2 nights a week x 52 weeks = 104 nights
13 weeks x 5 nights = 65/2 = 32.5
so grand total of 136.5 or 137.

Hmmm.....!

MrsBartolozzi

No Of weeks in a year: 52
No of weeks school holidays: 13
No of weeks term time: 39
No of days he has children in term time = 39x2 (ave of 2 per week as in OP)= 78

Holidays = 13 weeks = 91 days/2 = 46 (rounding up)

Total = 78+46 = 124


That's my working anyway. I'd also add a couple on as there is slightly more than 52 weeks in a year.

Donedoingdebt

Whichever calculations you use, all the answers come between 104 & 156 days per year which for CSA purposes, comes to two sevenths off the assessment.

clearingout

LOL! This is hilarious! Why is it so hard?!

Whilst I'm inclined to agree donedoingdebt, that it doesn't really matter anyway, I am concerned that the 150 nights is a bit close to 155 and that there'll be any kind of argument to be had trying to push it over the 155 mark. However, I think we are clear that in the first instance, I had double accounted for the weekends and whether it's 123, 124 or even 137, we are now miles away from the 155 so there's no issue to concern ourselves with there.

Thanks all. I knew it would help to run it past you!

shell_542

Have you tried marking it down on a calendar to get more accurate figures rather than rounding?