Casewell
How to read this in the United States
Custody questions rarely have one US-wide answer. State law differs, and county rules differ inside a single state. Start with the order or parenting plan that actually applies to you.
Record each event with the date it happened and the date you wrote it down. Keep the whole message thread, bill or calendar item rather than a crop of it. A screenshot should never be your only copy.
A reader should be able to see what happened, when you recorded it and what changed afterwards. Take the legal questions to a family-law attorney licensed in your state.
Your state and county matter
Custody rules change from state to state, and sometimes from county to county. Put your state and county at the top of anything you share. Quote your custody order or parenting plan word for word. Keep court notices and portal downloads exactly as you received them. If a move, a new school or another state is involved, raise it with your attorney rather than guessing which rules apply.
The collection checklist
- Current and earlier relevant orders, agreements and parenting plans.
- Parenting-time calendars showing scheduled and actual time.
- Material messages or emails about care, changes, decisions and costs.
- Relevant school, medical or activity records got lawfully.
- Receipts, invoices, repayment requests and payment proof.
- Incident entries, exact volunteered words and expert contact references.
- Photos, call logs or location records where lawful and genuinely relevant.
- Names of potential adult witnesses and the fact each person directly observed.
This is a collection list, not a direction to file every type.
The verification checklist
For each item, confirm the original source, event date, document date, sender or creator, full surrounding context and whether the item has been edited. Record how you got it. If a message screenshot cuts off the date, sender or preceding exchange, keep a wider view or export. If a document came from another person, identify that person rather than presenting it as your direct knowledge.
A typed reconstruction can help readability but shouldn't replace an unclear original. Label the transcription and link both files in the index.
Use this copyable master-index row
REF: MSG-027
EVENT DATE: 08 May 2026
DOCUMENT DATE: 08 May 2026
DESCRIPTION: Message changing Friday collection to 19:00
SOURCE/CREATOR: Original co-parent message export
ISSUE TAGS: parenting time. Schedule changes
ORIGINAL FILE: export-2026-05-01-to-05-15.pdf, page 14
WORKING COPY: MSG-027.pdf
TIMELINE ENTRY: CH-019
LIMITATION: preceding voice call not recorded
SHARING/REDACTION REVIEW: pendingSeparate candidate material from reviewed material
Use simple statuses: collected, verified, indexed, linked to issue, reviewed, and selected for an exact purpose. An item can be genuine yet irrelevant. It can be relevant yet unsuitable for filing in its present form. It can support background while adding nothing to the question at the next hearing.
This staged checklist prevents “evidence” from becoming an all-or-nothing label. It also lets a lawyer see which sources need attention without searching every folder.
Run a privacy and safety check
Check for a child's address, school details, medical information, account numbers, third-party contact details and confidential expert messages. Keep access limited. Redaction and disclosure rules depend on the legal area and proceeding. So don't alter an original or assume a private detail may simply be removed. Create a reviewed working copy only after the correct process is known.
If material suggests immediate danger, prioritize emergency or safeguarding help. The checklist comes after safety.
Make every selected item earn its place
Before putting an item in a hearing or advice pack, finish this sentence: “This helps the reader understand ___ because it shows ___.” Then add the timeline reference. If the sentence needs a long argument, the connection may be weak or the issue map may need revision.
The separate free custody evidence checklist is useful for collection. This guide adds the verification and timeline layer that turns a list of documents into a navigable record.
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.
Deal with one question at a time. Share the current order, a short timeline and the files that prove the point. Keep everything else safe in case it is needed later.
Court rules on redacting details, exhibits and deadlines vary from place to place. Check with a family-law attorney licensed in your state or your court's self-help pages before you file or send anything.
Write your state and county at the top and use the terms from your own order. A rule from one state may not apply in another.
Court timeline
Turn your screenshots into a court timeline
Have the messages and receipts as screenshots? Casewell reads them, puts them in date order and turns them into a neutral court chronology with an exhibit pack. Try it free, and pay once if you download the documents.
Or keep a dated record as things happen in the Casewell app.
Do I need certified copies?
That depends on the document, purpose and local rules. Keep the best original available and ask the relevant court office or qualified expert what form is needed.
Can I include records created by the other parent?
Keep lawfully got material with full context and source details. Relevance, authenticity, privacy and admissibility still need local review.
How often should I update the index?
Index fragile or important material when you collect it. A weekly check and monthly timeline review usually prevent a last-minute backlog.
Does this apply in every state?
No. Custody law, court process and terms differ by state and often by county. Use this page to keep your own record in order, and check legal questions with an attorney in your state.
Sources
Custody law, court process and terms differ by state and often by county. The official source gives orientation only. This page is a documentation guide, not legal advice.