Exchange log template: Australian template

How to read this in Australia

A record earns its weight by staying factual. Note what was planned, note what took place, and attach the file or message that supports the note.

Start from the parenting order, plan or written agreement now in force. Most family law here is federal, though Western Australia follows a different court path in some cases. Use the words that appear in your own papers.

Keep everyday days in the private record alongside the difficult ones. When a review is needed, select only the entries that answer the question in front of you. That is what lets an Australian family lawyer find the key facts quickly.

State, territory and pathway checklist

Name the state or territory and the court registry. Say if the plan is an order, parenting plan, or written deal. Use the words from that paper. Flag any Western Australian court path for legal review. Keep court papers, dispute help records, and daily notes in separate groups.

Copyable exchange row

EXCHANGE ID: EX-[YEAR]-[NUMBER]
CHILD:
SCHEDULED START / LOCATION:
ACTUAL START / LOCATION:
SCHEDULED END / LOCATION:
ACTUAL END / LOCATION:
TRANSFERRING ADULT:
RECEIVING ADULT:
CHANGE INITIATED BY:
NOTICE TIME / CHANNEL:
REASON STATED: [attribute. Do not assume]
BELONGINGS / MEDICATION TRANSFERRED:
OBSERVABLE ISSUE OR EFFECT:
MESSAGE / IMAGE / WITNESS REFERENCES:
MAKEUP TIME OFFERED / AGREED / USED:
FOLLOW-UP:
TIMELINE LINE:

Two realistic entries — including the ordinary one

EX-2026-072, routine: Scheduled 7 Aug, 17:00, school gate. Actual 16:58. Receiving adult: Parent B. Backpack and inhaler transferred. Issue: none observed. Evidence: school sign-out SCH-022. EX-2026-073, late: Scheduled 10 Aug, 09:00, Riverside car park. Actual 09:34. Message at 09:12 from Parent B: Bus delayed. Reference MSG-163.

Child waited with Parent An in café. No observable issue. Makeup: 34 minutes offered for 16 Aug. Not yet agreed. Recording the routine row creates a denominator. The timeline can truthfully say 8 exchanges: 7 within five minutes, 1 arrived 34 minutes late.

Decision tree: routine, changed, late or no-show

Did the exchange occur as scheduled? Log a short routine row.
Was a change agreed in advance? Keep the agreement, record the revised schedule, and compare actual time with the revision.
Was arrival late? Record scheduled and actual time, when notice arrived, and the stated reason as attributed.
Did nobody arrive? Record how long you waited, attempts to contact, location evidence and the safe next step you took. Avoid declaring a no-show before the relevant waiting period or local advice supports that label.
Was makeup time discussed? Keep offered, agreed and actually exercised as three separate facts.

Calculate the chronology without hiding the rows

Choose and disclose a lateness rule for your own summary, such as more than five minutes after the agreed time. Don't imply that it is a legal threshold. Monthly line: August | 10 scheduled exchanges | 9 completed | 1 not completed | 2 arrivals >5 minutes late | EX-2026-072–081. If the location or schedule changes, keep the original expectation, the notice or agreement, and the revised expectation. Link missed events to missed handover records rather than duplicating the detail.

Terminology depends on where you are

You may see exchange, handover, pickup/drop-off, contact, or transition. England and Wales orders generally describe where a child lives and when the child spends time or otherwise has contact. California materials commonly say custody and parenting time (visitation). Use the wording in your order or agreement for the expected arrangement, then record the actual event in everyday language. A template can't decide whether a deviation breaches an order. Ask a local expert about legal significance.

An Australian review note

Copy an exchange log with scheduled and actual times, realistic routine and late entries. Also, a decision tree for changes and no-shows. Sharing any of it in Australia takes a few more steps.

Work from a copy when someone needs to review the record. Include the current order or plan, a short timeline and a small set of named source files.

Check current court orders and rules before you send the pack. An Australian family lawyer can say what belongs in an affidavit, annexure, or private file.

Name the state, territory, and court path. Take extra care in Western Australia. A national guide cannot set the right court step for every case.

What a coherent Australian record looks like

Casewell keeps the dated entry, its source file and any later addition together in one private timeline. When a review is needed, select only the records that answer the question in front of you and share those with an Australian family lawyer.

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How late counts as a late exchange?

Use the exact scheduled and actual time. Any summary threshold is an analytical choice unless your order or local rule defines it. So state the threshold you used.

Should I photograph every handover?

Routine time records or neutral third-party sources may be enough. Consider privacy, safety and local law before recording people or places.

What if the exchange location changes by text?

Keep the message, record the original schedule and revised agreement, then compare the actual event with the agreed revision.

Is this a court form or affidavit?

No. It is a method for keeping a private factual record. Current court rules and expert advice decide how material is prepared or used in a proceeding.

Sources

Federal family law supplies the broad framework, while Western Australia and some related processes have distinct pathways. The official source gives orientation only. This page is a records guide, not legal advice.