Child Arrangements
on Police Shifts
How separated parents make contact work when one (or both) of them works a police roster: building a parenting plan from the published roster, what happens when rest days are cancelled, school holidays and leave, mediation and the £500 voucher, what a court looks at, flexible working for officers, and how the number of nights changes child maintenance. For officers and for the other parent.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 19 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Agree a written parenting plan built from the officer's roster, which for constables and sergeants is published at least a month ahead and covers at least three months. Decide between fixed calendar days and roster-linked days, and add rules for swaps, cancelled rest days, handovers and holidays. Mediation (with a £500 voucher for child disputes) comes before court. If you cannot agree, a court decides on the child's welfare under the Children Act 1989. Nights with the paying parent reduce CMS child maintenance from 52 a year.
How child arrangements work after separation
In England and Wales most separated parents agree arrangements for their children between themselves, with or without help from a mediator. Only if they cannot agree does a court decide, and then the child's welfare is the court's "paramount consideration" (Children Act 1989 s.1(1)). There is no standard police arrangement and no rule that the parent with the more regular job gets more time.
What makes police families different is the roster. Shifts rotate through earlies, lates and nights, rest days fall on different days of the week, and both rest days and leave can be cancelled for operational reasons. A plan that says "every other weekend" may clash with the roster half the time. A plan built from the roster gives the officer more time with the children but gives the other parent less certainty. Most of this guide is about finding the balance.
The court rules here are from the Children Act 1989, which applies in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own law on children. The Child Maintenance Service figures apply in England, Wales and Scotland.
A parenting plan that works on a police roster
GOV.UK's "Make a child arrangements plan" service helps you plan and agree arrangements and produces a document you can share with the other parent for their agreement or suggestions; you can also fill it in together. It covers when and where the children spend time with each parent and other contact such as phone calls. There is a paper template too. GOV.UK says a plan made with the service "is not legally binding", and either of you can suggest changes at any time. It should not be used if a court order already sets out the arrangements.
The service asks the general questions. For a police family, these are the sections that make or break the plan:
| Plan section | What to agree | Why it matters on shifts |
|---|---|---|
| Where the children live | Main home, or two homes; which school address | Gives the children a fixed point when the roster moves |
| Regular time | Fixed calendar days, or days linked to the officer's roster, or a mix | A roster-linked pattern gives more time; a fixed pattern gives more certainty |
| How the roster is shared | When the officer sends the published roster, and in what form | Rosters are published in advance (see below), so share them as soon as they are out |
| Changes and cancellations | Notice for swaps; what happens if a rest day is cancelled; how lost time is made up | Rest days and leave can be cancelled for operational reasons |
| Overnights before early or night shifts | Whether the children stay the night before an early start or during a night set | Childcare cover may be needed at both ends of a shift |
| Handover | Where, when, who; a fallback if a shift overruns | Late finishes happen; agree a default so nobody waits at a car park |
| School holidays and special days | How holidays, Christmas, birthdays and religious festivals are split | Leave must be booked and approved; plan a year ahead |
| Communication | Calls or video on nights away; how parents contact each other | Keeps contact going on long shift runs |
| Costs | Who pays for travel, clubs, childcare | Childcare around shifts can cost more than standard day care |
| Review | When you will look at the plan again | Postings, promotion or a new shift pattern change everything |
An example of the kind of wording parents use (adapt it; it is not legal drafting): "If a rest day on which the children were due to stay with [officer] is cancelled, [officer] will tell [other parent] as soon as they know. The lost time will be made up within the next roster period on a day both parents agree, and neither parent will treat the cancellation as a reason to change the regular pattern."
Keep the plan child-centred. Children's ages matter: what works for a teenager with a phone and a bus pass will not work for a toddler who needs a predictable bedtime in one place. Review the plan when the roster changes, when the officer is posted, promoted or moves to a different shift pattern, and as the children grow.
What the regulations say about rosters, and why it helps
For constables and sergeants in England and Wales, the Home Office determination on duty rosters (Annex E to the determinations under the Police Regulations 2003) sets rules that make advance planning possible. The text below is from the April 2012 version in the Home Office's 2013 compilation, the latest consolidated text we found; check with your Federation representative whether anything has changed for your force.
| Rule | What the determination says | Use for contact planning |
|---|---|---|
| Publication | Duty rosters for constables and sergeants are drawn up and published, after consultation with the Joint Branch Board, at intervals not exceeding 12 months and not later than one month before they start | You can know your shifts at least a month ahead: build the contact calendar from the roster |
| How far ahead | Each roster sets out, for at least three months, each member's rest days, public holidays they may work, and shift start and finish times | Plan contact at least three months at a time |
| Rest between shifts | At least 11 hours between the end of one daily period of duty and the start of the next, unless the Joint Branch Board agrees otherwise with compensatory rest | Helps judge whether an evening handover before an early shift is realistic |
| Rest days | No more than 7 days between rostered rest days, unless the Joint Branch Board agrees otherwise | There is a regular break for contact even on long runs |
| Changes | Where the exigencies of duty require a roster change, the officer making it must try to avoid breaking the rest rules; if they are broken, compensatory rest is due | Changes happen; build a make-up clause into the plan |
For the other parent, this is the practical point: the officer knows their rest days, public holiday working and shift times at least a month in advance and for at least three months ahead. Asking for the roster as soon as it is published is reasonable, and a plan that says when it will be shared avoids arguments. For the officer, it means the regular pattern can be set for a whole roster period at a time, with changes the exception rather than the rule.
Inspectors and above are not covered by the same roster rules in the same way. If you are an inspector or chief inspector, ask your force how your duty times are published.
Designing contact around common shift patterns
There are three broad approaches. None is right for every family; the table shows the trade-offs.
Cycles that do not match the week. Many police patterns run on cycles that are not 7 or 14 days. On an 8-day cycle, for example four on and four off, the rest days fall two days later in the week each cycle, so "weekend" contact only lines up some of the time. A roster-linked plan suits these patterns better. See 4 on 4 off explained, the Panama pattern and the shift patterns hub.
Counting nights. The number of nights a year the children sleep at each home matters for child maintenance (see below). Simple arithmetic for some common patterns, as illustrations:
| Pattern (with the paying parent) | Arithmetic | Nights a year | CMS shared care band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every other weekend, Friday and Saturday nights | 2 nights x 26 fortnights | 52 | One-seventh off |
| Every other weekend plus one midweek night every week | 52 + (1 x 52 weeks) | 104 | Two-sevenths off |
| 2 nights in every 8-day shift cycle | 365 / 8 x 2 | 91 | One-seventh off |
| 3 nights in every 8-day shift cycle | 365 / 8 x 3 | 136 | Two-sevenths off |
| 3 nights a week on average | 3 x 52 | 156 | Three-sevenths off |
| Alternate weeks (7 nights in every 14) | 365 / 14 x 7 | 182 | Half off, plus £7 a week less per child |
Nights during school holidays are on top of these figures if the plan adds them. When you agree a plan, write down the expected number of nights a year: GOV.UK says the CMS bases shared care on a court order or the parents' agreement, and if you agree there are at least 52 nights but not the exact number, it assumes 52.
Many officers on an early shift start before school opens. A roster-linked plan often has the children stay with the officer on the nights before rest days rather than before early turns. Under Annex E there should be at least 11 hours between the end of one shift and the start of the next, which helps when judging whether an evening handover before a late-to-early changeover is realistic.
Worked example: a roster-linked plan on an 8-day cycle
An illustration, not a recommendation. The officer works a pattern of four duty days followed by four rest days. The parents agree that the children stay with the officer for three nights in each rest block, and return to the other parent on the last rest day so the officer can sleep before the next block.
| Cycle day | Officer | Children sleep at | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Duty | Other parent | Officer may see the children after a late finish only if agreed |
| Day 2 | Duty | Other parent | |
| Day 3 | Duty | Other parent | |
| Day 4 | Duty (last shift) | Other parent | Collection the next morning after school drop-off or at the school gate, as agreed |
| Day 5 | Rest day | Officer | First night with the officer |
| Day 6 | Rest day | Officer | |
| Day 7 | Rest day | Officer | Third night with the officer |
| Day 8 | Rest day | Other parent | Back to the other parent so the officer can rest before the next duty block |
Over a year that is 365 ÷ 8 × 3 = about 136 nights with the officer, which falls in the CMS band for 104 to 155 nights. Because the cycle is 8 days, the officer's nights move two days later in the week each cycle, so some cycles fall at weekends and some in the school week. The plan therefore needs the school run on officer nights to be realistic, or a rule that weekday nights before a school day stay with the other parent, which lowers the number of nights.
The same family could instead use a fixed pattern of alternate weekends plus one midweek night each week (about 104 nights), which is easier for school but means the officer will be on duty for some of those days. Neither is right or wrong; the question is which suits the children.
Cancelled rest days, overtime and on-call
Rest days and leave can be cancelled, overtime can run on, and officers can be on call. A good plan expects this. What the rules say, so that both parents know what to expect:
- Cancelled rest days. Under Annex H (April 2012 text), a constable or sergeant required to work a rostered rest day with less than 15 days' notice gets an allowance at the rest-day rate (3/64 of a day's pay for each completed 15 minutes, which is time and a half) or can choose, within 28 days, time off at one and a half times the hours worked. With 15 days' notice or more, they get another rest day instead, notified within 4 days. Compensation is about pay and time off; it does not give the children back the day, which is why the plan needs a make-up rule. See can they cancel my rest day?
- Public holidays. Annex H also says an officer should not be given less than 15 days' notice to work a public holiday without the authority of an officer above chief superintendent. Christmas and bank holiday working is shown on the roster, so it can be planned around.
- On-call. Officers on call receive £35 for each day on which they spend any time on call (Annex U para 13, as amended in June 2026). Being on call during contact time means the children may need to be collected at short notice. Agree in the plan whether on-call days are contact days, and who is the fallback.
- Annual leave. Leave has to be approved and can, in some circumstances, be cancelled or the officer recalled. See can police cancel annual leave? and recall from annual leave.
For the other parent: occasional cancellations are part of police work, and a court would look at the overall pattern rather than a single missed weekend. For the officer: repeated last-minute changes make it hard for the children and the other parent to plan, and a record of how often contact goes ahead as planned is useful to both of you if things ever go to court.
School holidays, Christmas and annual leave
School holidays need more planning than term time, because the officer's leave has to fit the force's leave rules and the team's minimum staffing, and the other parent may have their own work to plan around.
- Agree the year early. Put the school holiday split (for example alternate halves, or set weeks each summer) into the plan as soon as the school dates and the leave year are known.
- Book leave early. Popular weeks go first. Our guide to making the most of leave on a shift pattern shows how rest days around leave stretch a short booking into a longer break.
- Christmas and festivals. Alternate years, or split the day. If the officer is rostered on Christmas Day, agree another day as the officer's Christmas with the children. See working Christmas Day.
- Childcare when neither parent is free. Holiday clubs and wraparound care cost money: see holiday and wraparound childcare and childcare costs on shift work. Agree in the plan who pays.
- Taking the children abroad. Agree it in advance in writing; if there is a child arrangements order or a dispute, take advice before booking.
Mediation, the MIAM and the £500 voucher
If you cannot agree, mediation is the next step, and for a court application it is usually required first.
- MIAM. GOV.UK says you may need to go to a mediation information and assessment meeting (MIAM) before applying to court for a child arrangements order. A mediator explains mediation and other options. GOV.UK lists exemptions, including evidence of domestic abuse, children at risk of harm, an urgent application, a MIAM or other dispute resolution attended in the last 4 months, and being unable to attend.
- The voucher. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme gives up to £500 towards mediation. It is for disputes about child arrangements. Financial issues qualify only when they are part of a dispute about the children, and the voucher does not cover the MIAM. It does not depend on income or job.
- Fitting it around shifts. Ask mediators whether they offer remote sessions or sessions at times that fit a roster. Bring the next three months of roster to the first session.
Government funding for the voucher scheme for 2026 to 2027 has been reported by the Family Mediation Council and the legal press, but we could not find a Ministry of Justice page confirming the end date. Ask the mediator whether vouchers are still available when you book.
Child arrangements orders: what the court looks at
A child arrangements order is an order regulating with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and when (Children Act 1989 s.8). The same section provides for prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders, for example about schooling or taking a child abroad. You apply on form C100, online or by post. GOV.UK says the fee is £270 and help with fees may be available. The court "will only make an order if it's what's best for your child".
The principles in section 1
- Welfare is paramount (s.1(1)).
- Delay is likely to prejudice the child's welfare (s.1(2)).
- No order unless better than no order (s.1(5)).
- Presumption of parental involvement (s.1(2A), inserted in 2014): unless the contrary is shown, involvement of each parent in the child's life will further the child's welfare. The government has proposed repealing it in the Courts and Tribunals Bill (clause 17 at committee stage in April 2026). As at 19 October 2026, legislation.gov.uk still shows the presumption in force, and we could not confirm whether the Bill has been passed.
The welfare checklist, s.1(3)
- the child's ascertainable wishes and feelings, in the light of their age and understanding;
- their physical, emotional and educational needs;
- the likely effect on them of any change in circumstances;
- their age, sex, background and any relevant characteristics;
- any harm they have suffered or are at risk of suffering;
- how capable each parent (and any other relevant person) is of meeting their needs;
- the range of powers available to the court.
Nothing in the checklist mentions shift work or any job. In our reading, a roster becomes relevant through the practical questions the checklist raises: whether a proposed pattern meets the child's needs for routine and school (b), what a change to the current arrangement would do (c), and whether each parent can actually meet the child's needs on the days proposed (f). A detailed, roster-based plan with childcare cover answers those questions far better than a general wish for "more time". This is our explanation, not legal advice; a family solicitor can advise on your case.
How nights with each parent change child maintenance
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) formula reduces what the paying parent pays according to how many nights a year the children stay overnight with them. The bands (Child Support Act 1991 Sch 1 para 7; GOV.UK):
- Fewer than 52 nights: no reduction.
- 52 to 103: one-seventh off (14.29%).
- 104 to 155: two-sevenths off (28.57%).
- 156 to 174: three-sevenths off (42.86%).
- 175 or more: half off, plus a further £7 a week for each child.
GOV.UK says payments cannot go below £7 a week. Try your own figures, including overtime and allowances:
Your details (the parent who pays)
The Child Maintenance Service works out what the parent who does not have the children most of the time pays. Enter that parent's pay.
Pensionable pay on your payslip before deductions.
Overtime, on-call, unsocial hours, London or South East allowance. Use last tax year's total if you can.
Sets the pension contribution taken off before the CMS counts your income.
Children with your former partner.
An average over the year. Shift patterns that swap weeks still count by the year.
For example a new partner's children or your own with someone else. Child Benefit must be paid for them.
Child Maintenance Service estimate
A week
£111.67
A month (average)
£485
A year
£5,823
- Taxable pay a year (pay less pension contributions)
- £50,795
- Gross weekly income the CMS uses
- £974.16
- Basic rate before shared care
- £111.67 a week
- Fewer than 52 nights: no shared care reduction
- £0.00
- You pay
- £111.67 a week
Overtime and allowances add about £10.36 a week to this. The CMS uses the latest tax year HMRC holds, not this month's overtime. If your income has changed by 25% or more since then, either parent can ask for it to be recalculated on current income.
Go further with your own figures
Turn these estimates into a plan you can take to a solicitor
Police Separation Money Plan · £19.99
Both households side by side, child maintenance both ways, whether you can buy out the house, and what happens if overtime drops. With a PDF.
See the planPolice Divorce Pension Report · £49.99
Your pension at every share, the lump sum before and after, the part built up during the marriage, when each part is paid, what your former partner gets, offsetting figures and the questions for your solicitor. With a PDF.
See the reportPolice Divorce Pack: both, plus the Pension Command Centre, £59.99 (worth £116.98 separately)
The Command Centre models your whole police pension to retirement, so you can see life after the settlement. One payment, no subscription. 12 months on the report and plan; the Command Centre is yours to keep.
Estimates and general information, not legal, financial or mortgage advice.
Free enquiry
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Child maintenance is only one part. Tell us where you are and we will reply, and if you want, introduce you to a family-law firm that understands police pay and pensions.
Worked example: the same officer, different numbers of nights
An illustration, worked out with the same CMS library the calculator uses. A constable at the top of the scale (£52,015 basic pay) with £6,000 a year of overtime and allowances, paying 13.88% pension contributions, pays maintenance for two children through Direct Pay. Taxable pay is about £50,795 a year, or £974.16 a week, so the basic rate applies: 16% of the first £800 a week and 12% of the rest, which is £148.90 a week before any shared care.
| Nights a year with the paying parent | Band | Weekly | Monthly (approx.) | Yearly (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Fewer than 52 nights: no shared care reduction | £148.90 | £647 | £7,764 |
| 52 | 52 to 103 nights: one-seventh off | £127.63 | £555 | £6,655 |
| 104 | 104 to 155 nights: two-sevenths off | £106.36 | £462 | £5,546 |
| 136 | 104 to 155 nights: two-sevenths off | £106.36 | £462 | £5,546 |
| 156 | 156 to 174 nights: three-sevenths off | £85.09 | £370 | £4,437 |
| 182 | 175 nights or more: half off, and £7 a week less for each child | £60.45 | £263 | £3,152 |
Moving from 52 to 104 nights a year in this example reduces maintenance by about £1,109 a year. That is a real sum, and it is one reason contact and money arguments can become entangled. Both parents should keep them separate: the plan should be about what works for the children, and the CMS then applies the number of nights you have agreed.
The CMS uses taxable earnings, normally the HMRC figure for the latest tax year, so overtime and taxable allowances are included. It switches to current income if that differs by 25% or more. How overtime affects the figure is explained in child maintenance and police overtime, and our full police child maintenance calculator shows both directions. The Police Separation Money Plan (£19.99) puts both households side by side, with child maintenance both ways and what happens if overtime drops; it is a planning estimate, not a CMS decision.
Flexible working and part-time hours for police officers
Many parents ask for different hours after separating. For police officers the legal route is different from most workers.
- The statutory right to request does not apply. The statutory right to request flexible working is in section 80F of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which gives it to "a qualifying employee" applying to "his employer". A Police Federation guide (Sussex, 2015) says the statutory right to request flexible working "does not apply to the police service", but that College of Policing guidance says there should be a parallel right for officers to request flexible working.
- Part-time service under the Police Regulations. Regulation 5 of the Police Regulations 2003 lets the chief officer appoint officers to part-time service in any rank, including job shares. A full-time officer cannot be made part-time without consent, and a part-time officer cannot be made full-time without consent. An officer who came from full-time service and asks in writing to return must be re-appointed within 2 months if there is a suitable vacancy, otherwise within 4 months or sooner if reasonably practicable.
- Force policy decides the process. Each force has its own flexible working policy. As an example, the Norfolk and Suffolk policy (v1.3, 2023) says requests will be accommodated unless there is a genuine operational reason, that there is no limit on the number of requests, that officers do not have to give a reason, and that full-time hours on a bespoke pattern can be requested. It also says part-time officers can still be required to stay on after their hours and can have rest days cancelled where there is an exigency of duty. The West Midlands Federation also says there is no restriction on how many times officers can apply.
Reducing hours reduces pay and the pension built up, and may change child maintenance either way: lower pay can reduce what a paying parent owes, while more nights with the children can reduce it further. Model the pay with our part-time pay calculator before you apply, and read part-time annual leave. If a request is refused, your Federation representative can advise on the appeal route in your force's policy.
For the other parent: making a police roster work for you
- Ask for the roster. Rosters for constables and sergeants are published at least a month before they start and cover at least three months. Asking for a copy as soon as it is out is reasonable, and the plan can say so.
- Plan your own work. A roster-linked plan gives you blocks of free time too. Knowing them three months ahead helps with your own job, shifts and childcare.
- Expect some cancellations, and agree how they are made up. A cancelled rest day is usually outside the officer's control. A make-up rule protects the children's time without arguments each time.
- Keep money and contact separate. More nights with the officer reduces CMS maintenance, and fewer nights increases it. Agree the pattern that works for the children first.
- Know your own position on the money. Read divorcing a police officer for the pension, and the divorce budget calculator for both households.
Shift-work parenting plan checklist
Use this before you sign off a plan, whether you made it with GOV.UK's tool, a mediator or on paper.
| Item | Agreed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular pattern written down (fixed, roster-linked or hybrid) | ☐ | |
| Expected nights a year with each parent written down | ☐ | For the CMS |
| When and how the roster is shared | ☐ | As soon as it is published |
| Notice needed for swaps | ☐ | |
| What happens if a rest day or leave is cancelled; make-up rule | ☐ | |
| On-call days: contact or not; fallback carer | ☐ | |
| Handover place, time and fallback for overruns | ☐ | |
| School holidays split; Christmas and special days | ☐ | |
| Phone or video contact on long runs or nights away | ☐ | |
| Who pays for childcare around shifts, travel, clubs | ☐ | |
| How the parents will communicate (and not through the children) | ☐ | |
| Review date | ☐ | And after any posting or new shift pattern |
When the plan stops working: changing or enforcing it
Rosters change, officers are posted or promoted, children grow up. A plan should be reviewed rather than abandoned.
- No court order. Agree changes and write them into the plan. GOV.UK's plan service can be used to suggest changes to existing arrangements. If you cannot agree, mediation and then a C100 application are open, as above.
- There is a court order. GOV.UK says not to use its plan service if a court order already sets out the arrangements: you would apply to the court to change the order or to enforce it. Parents can still agree a different arrangement day to day, but the order remains in force.
- A new shift pattern or posting. Tell the other parent as soon as you know, and share the new roster. Our guides on changes to your shift pattern and transfers and postings explain how much notice forces give.
- Child maintenance. If the number of nights changes for good, the CMS figure may change. Tell the CMS if you use it.
When both parents are police officers
Two rosters can make things easier (two sets of rest days to share) or much harder (both called in for the same event). Practical points:
- Share both rosters as soon as each is published, and keep a joint calendar.
- Agree a fallback carer for days when both of you are required for duty.
- Agree what happens to contact if either of you is sent on mutual aid.
- If you are in the same force, your managers may be willing to look at aligning rest days; there is no right to it.
- Each of you will need to report the change of circumstances to vetting (see the checklist).
The pensions side, with two CETVs, is covered in when both of you are police officers.
When there are safety concerns
Everything above assumes both parents can cooperate safely. If there has been domestic abuse, or a child is at risk, the process changes. GOV.UK lists evidence of domestic abuse and a child being at risk of harm among the exemptions from the mediation meeting, and an application can be made urgently or without notice. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999.
Officers should be aware that the College of Policing's Vetting APP (May 2025, 3.8.4) lists being the subject of civil proceedings or protective measures, including non-molestation orders, occupation orders and domestic violence protection notices or orders, among the changes in circumstances that must be reported to the vetting authority. Separation itself is also a reportable change. The steps are set out in the police divorce checklist.
Support for officers and families
More is listed in the police mental health support directory and the welfare hub.
Myths about shift work and child arrangements
What we could not verify
- Current consolidated Annexes E and H. We used the April 2012 text in the 2013 Home Office compilation; check whether your force applies any later change.
- Whether the presumption of parental involvement has been repealed. Proposed in the Courts and Tribunals Bill; still shown in force on legislation.gov.uk on 19 October 2026.
- The mediation voucher's end date. Reported funding to 2027 is not confirmed on a Ministry of Justice page we could find.
- Current College of Policing flexible working guidance. We rely on the Federation's summary and a force policy.
- How the CMS treats a change in the agreed nights. Ask the CMS if your pattern changes for good.
- Each force's EAP. These are arranged locally.
PolicePay is not a law firm and this page is general information, not legal advice. For an order about your children, speak to a family solicitor or a mediator. The calculator above includes an enquiry form that sends your details to PolicePay (Andrew Thomas).
Free: the police divorce checklist (PDF)
The documents to gather, the pension steps from CETV to pension sharing order, and the questions to ask a solicitor, written for police officers and their partners. Enter your email to download it. We will also send occasional police divorce and pension updates; unsubscribe any time.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do police officers make child contact work around shifts?
Most families use a written parenting plan built from the officer's published roster, with clear rules for swaps, cancelled rest days and handovers. Rosters for constables and sergeants are published at least a month ahead and cover at least three months, so contact can be planned a season at a time. GOV.UK has a free tool for making a child arrangements plan.
Is a parenting plan legally binding?
No. GOV.UK says any plan you create with its child arrangements plan service is not legally binding, and either parent can suggest changes. If you cannot agree, or need something enforceable, either parent can apply to court for a child arrangements order.
What is a child arrangements order?
An order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 regulating with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and when. You apply on form C100; GOV.UK says it costs £270. You usually need to attend a mediation information meeting first, unless an exemption such as evidence of domestic abuse applies.
Will a court hold my shift pattern against me?
The court's paramount consideration is the child's welfare, and it works through the welfare checklist in section 1(3) of the Children Act 1989: the child's wishes, needs, the effect of change, age and background, harm, and how capable each parent is of meeting the child's needs. Shift work is not in the list. What matters is a workable plan that meets the child's needs.
Can the mediation voucher be used by police families?
Yes, if the dispute is about the children. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme gives up to £500 towards mediation for child arrangement disputes; money issues qualify only alongside a child dispute, and the voucher does not cover the MIAM. It does not depend on your job.
How many nights does the CMS count for shared care?
The CMS reduces the paying parent's amount if the children stay overnight with them on average 52 or more nights a year: one-seventh off for 52 to 103 nights, two-sevenths for 104 to 155, three-sevenths for 156 to 174, and half plus £7 a week per child for 175 or more. GOV.UK says the number is based on a court order or the parents' agreement.
What if my rest days are cancelled and I miss contact?
Build a make-up rule into your parenting plan so lost time is replaced, and tell the other parent as soon as you know. Under the Home Office determination, a constable or sergeant who gets less than 15 days' notice to work a rostered rest day is paid at the rest-day rate or can take time off at time and a half; with more notice, another rest day is given.
Do police officers have a legal right to request flexible working?
Not under the employment legislation: a Federation guide says the statutory right to request flexible working does not apply to the police service. Officers apply under the Police Regulations and their force's flexible working policy instead. Regulation 5 of the Police Regulations 2003 allows part-time appointments with consent and sets the timescale for returning to full time.
Does going part-time to look after the children reduce child maintenance?
The CMS works on the paying parent's income, normally the HMRC figure for the latest tax year, but it uses current income if that differs by at least 25%. Lower pay from part-time hours can therefore reduce the amount, but only once the change is large enough or the next tax year's figure is used. Part-time hours also reduce pension built up.
Who gets the children on Christmas Day if I am working?
There is no rule; it is for the parents to agree or, failing that, for a court. Many plans alternate years or split the day. Because public holiday working is shown on the roster and leave has to be approved, agree the year's holidays early and put them in the plan.
What if we are both police officers?
You have two rosters and two sets of operational demands. Share both rosters, agree what happens when both of you are called in, and consider whether your forces can align rest days. Our guide for police couples covers the pensions and the practical issues.
Where can I get support while this is going on?
Your force's employee assistance programme and welfare officers, your Federation branch, and the Oscar Kilo Mental Health Crisis Line (0300 131 2789), which is confidential and open 24 hours a day to anyone working in, or who has left, policing in England and Wales who is in crisis. Police Care UK supports those harmed by policing.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 19 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Children Act 1989, section 1 (welfare of the child), legislation.gov.uk : welfare paramount; delay; presumption of parental involvement s.1(2A); welfare checklist s.1(3); no order principle s.1(5) (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Children Act 1989, section 8 (child arrangements orders) : definitions of child arrangements, prohibited steps and specific issue orders (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate, make a child arrangements plan : free online plan and paper template; not legally binding (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Making child arrangements, apply for a court order : form C100; £270; MIAM and exemptions; online application (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Family Mediation Voucher Scheme : up to £500; child disputes; MIAM not covered (accessed 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: How child maintenance is worked out, shared care : bands; based on court order or agreement; 52 nights assumed if the exact number is not agreed; £7 minimum (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Child Support Act 1991, Schedule 1 : basic rate percentages; shared care fractions (paras 7 and 8) (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/2677), Part 4 : historic income; current income where it differs by 25% or more (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Home Office: Determinations under the Police Regulations 2003, 2013 compilation (hosted by Cambridgeshire Police Federation) : Annex E duty rosters (April 2012 text); Annex H rest days and public holidays (April 2012 text) (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Home Office: Annex U (Amendment), Allowances, determination made 11 June 2026 (PDF) : on-call allowance £35 a day (para 13) (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 5 (part-time appointments), latest revised version : part-time by consent; return to full time within 2 months with a vacancy, otherwise 4 months (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 26 (public holidays and rest days) : compensation set by Home Office determination (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 80F (statutory right to request a contract variation) : a qualifying employee may apply to his employer (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Sussex Police Federation: Police Law, Part-Time Workers (2015, PDF) : statutory right to request flexible working does not apply to the police service; College of Policing guidance on a parallel right (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies: Flexible Working (Police Officers) Policy v1.3 (published 6 September 2023) : an example force policy: no limit on requests; accommodated unless a genuine operational reason; rest days can still be cancelled (accessed 19 October 2026)
- West Midlands Police Federation: flexible working FAQs : no restriction on the number of applications (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Oscar Kilo: Mental Health Crisis Line : 0300 131 2789; 24/7; confidential; all forces in England and Wales (accessed 19 October 2026)
- Police Care UK : free, confidential support for serving and former officers, staff, volunteers and families harmed by policing (accessed 19 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting authorised professional practice (May 2025, PDF) : 3.8.4: protective orders among changes to report (accessed 19 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Pension tools for after the settlement
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. It is not a law firm or a financial adviser, is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and this page is general information, not legal, financial or pension advice. Every divorce settlement depends on the facts, and pension sharing is decided by agreement or by a court. Figures from our calculators are estimates on stated assumptions: the scheme administrator's cash equivalent and the court order are what count. For decisions about your settlement, speak to a family solicitor and, where the pension is a large part of the money, a pension on divorce expert. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 19 October 2026.