01
Parenting-time changes
Late, missed or changed collections and handovers, including the agreed plan, actual times, location and any notice given.
Custody journal
A custody journal for facts you may need later
A useful custody journal is more than a stream of notes. It records what was expected, what was observed, when it happened and what source supports it—without turning every disagreement into a conclusion.
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What belongs in the journal
Record events that change arrangements, responsibilities or your child’s practical experience.
02
Communication outcomes
Requests, confirmations and unanswered messages when the outcome affects arrangements—not a running commentary on every conversation.
03
Child-related expenses
The item, amount, date, who paid, any request for contribution and the receipt or invoice that supports the entry.
04
School, health and wellbeing
Appointments, school information and observable effects on the child, using concrete details rather than diagnoses or assumptions.
05
Agreements and follow-up
What was agreed, the source of the agreement, any deadline and what happened next, so the entry remains understandable months later.
06
Supporting material
Photos, messages, receipts or documents linked to the event they explain, with enough context to understand why the file matters.
A reliable entry
Write for a reader who was not there.
01
Start with the plan
State the expected date, time, place or responsibility and identify where that expectation came from.
02
Describe the observation
Use exact times, actions and words where they matter. Keep assumptions about motives separate from what you directly observed.
03
Add the outcome
Record any practical effect, supporting file and next step. If something is corrected later, preserve the correction with its context.
Example of factual structure
Instead of “They were late again and did not care,” record: “Collection was arranged for 17:00. The other parent arrived at 17:42. I did not record any notice of delay before collection.” The second version identifies the plan, observable event and limit of the record.
Keep the journal selective
A stronger journal does not catalogue ordinary irritation. Leave out insults, predictions, diagnoses and claims about motive. Include an event when it changes an arrangement, creates a practical impact, records an agreement or connects to material you may genuinely need to review.
Inside Casewell
More structure than a notes app. More private than a shared platform.
Optional factual rewrite
Start in your own words, then use Make factual to produce a clearer, more neutral draft. The original remains available and you decide whether to accept the change.
Focused PDF reports
Choose the records that matter and create a readable report that includes event dates, entry history and linked supporting material.
FAQ
Questions before you start.
Should I record good or uneventful handovers?
Occasional routine entries help show a consistent habit and establish what normal looks like. You don't need a lengthy note when nothing material happened.
Should each child have a separate journal?
Tag each entry to the relevant child or children. Separate views are useful, but a shared event should remain one entry rather than conflicting duplicates.
Can I correct an entry?
Correct obvious errors transparently. Preserve the original recorded time and keep a dated edit or addendum so a reader can see what changed.
Common records
Built around the situations separated parents actually need to document.
Written on the hard days.
Ready for the day it matters.
Every entry becomes part of a clear, court-ready PDF.
Casewell does not provide legal advice or guarantee professional acceptance.