Check whether your records are ready to review
Mark what is genuinely complete. The score is a planning check, not an assessment of legal strength, relevance or admissibility.
How to read this in the UK
Three things need to stay separate in a record. What the arrangement says, what actually happened, and the file that shows it. Blur them together and a reader has to take your word for it. Keep them apart and the record speaks for itself.
The UK is not one family-law system. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own rules, forms and vocabulary. Use the words that appear in your own order or agreement rather than a term borrowed from somewhere else.
Keep the complete source file, not a crop of it. Write events in the order they happened, and say plainly where something is missing or unclear. A family solicitor can work with a record like that. They cannot work with a reconstruction.
Which part of the UK your case is in
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own family courts and rules. Say which one your case is in, and use the same words your order or plan uses. Only mention addresses or schools when they help explain what happened. Before you treat a private timeline as a court document, check the rules with a solicitor.
The eight categories
- Orders and agreements: current custody order, parenting plan, informal written agreements, relevant emails where terms were agreed.
- Parenting time records: your log of scheduled vs actual time, missed exchanges, makeup time. See how to prove parenting time.
- Communication records: major texts and emails, kept as screenshots plus originals. A running communication log.
- Expense records: child-related costs with receipts, who paid, repayment requests and outcomes.
- School records: attendance, report cards, teacher messages, who attended conferences and events.
- Medical records: appointments, who scheduled and attended, treatment decisions, insurance issues.
- Photos and video: dated, with context โ what it shows and why it matters.
- Witness information: names and contact details of people who observed relevant events (teachers, coaches, neighbors, family). Note what each actually witnessed.
Preservation rules that prevent regret
- Keep originals. A screenshot of a text is a copy. The thread on the phone is the original. Don't delete threads, emails, or photos after taking a working copy.
- Back up. Use a device backup plus a second appropriate location for critical items.
- Keep metadata. Original photo files may carry timestamps and other metadata that an edited or re-saved copy may lose.
- Record the source date. An undated image or document is harder to place in a timeline.
- Check before recording calls. Rules on recording conversations vary significantly between legal areas and circumstances. Before recording, get qualified local advice or use an official local source. This checklist cannot decide whether a recording would be lawful.
Organizing for review
Clear records are faster to review. Within each type, order items chronologically and label each item with a date plus one line of context, such as "2026-03-06. Complete message thread about a late pickup." Then keep a master timeline of major events across types. A lawyer, solicitor, mediator or adviser can use that timeline to locate the detailed source.
This is what Casewell supports. Entries are categorized and dated as you go, files stay connected to events. Also, the export produces the filtered timeline, expense summary or selected record set that this checklist builds by hand.
What not to bring
Volume alone isn't strength. A large unsorted export takes longer to review and can hide the events that answer the actual question.
Avoid material with no clear connection to the child-focused issue or selected date range. Do not access accounts or material you aren't entitled to access. When relevance or lawful access is uncertain, ask a qualified local expert before including or sharing the item. See preparing custody evidence for the fuller planning process.
Before you share your record
Everything above is about keeping your own record. Before you show any of it to someone else, a few extra steps help.
Work from a copy and leave the original untouched. Take out any private details the reader does not need.
Check that every important sentence links back to a date or a source. If one does not, rewrite the sentence rather than filling the gap with a guess.
Family law is different in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Make clear which one your case is in, and ask a family solicitor what the court rules let you share.
What evidence matters most in custody cases?
Courts focus on the child's best interests. So evidence about parenting time actually exercised, involvement in school and medical care, communication patterns, and the child's daily welfare often matters more than grievances between parents.
Can I record phone calls with my co-parent?
The rules vary between legal areas and circumstances. Check an official local source or get qualified local advice before recording any call or conversation.
How should I organize custody evidence for my attorney?
Organize by type and date, give every item a stable reference and one-line neutral description, and add a focused timeline of the key events.
Does this cover Scotland and Northern Ireland too?
No. England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate family-law systems, forms and terms. Use this page to keep your own record in order, and get advice from someone who works in your part of the UK.
Sources
England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate family-law systems, forms and terms. The official source gives orientation only. This page is a documentation guide, not legal advice.