Co-parenting documentation guides
Step-by-step methods, templates, examples, and checklists for keeping useful co-parenting records.
33 free guides, written for parents
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The guides most parents need first.
All 50 states and DCCan I record my co-parent? State-by-state guideCompare one-party, all-party and unsettled recording rules across all 50 states and DC, then open the detailed page for your state.Read the guide The complete methodHow to document co-parenting: the complete methodRead the guide Before courtWhat do judges look for in child custody cases?Read the guide ChecklistCustody evidence checklist: collect, verify and organizeRead the guide
Writing good records
How to write entries, logs and summaries that a lawyer or judge can follow.
How to write a factual co-parenting incident reportWrite a useful co-parenting incident report with a copyable template, event-versus-interpretation test and annotated factual rewrite.How to keep a useful co-parenting communication logBuild a communication log that tracks requests, responses, decisions and originals without turning every message into an incident.How to record verbal co-parenting agreementsTurn a spoken co-parenting arrangement into a clear written confirmation with a copyable message, version history and disagreement workflow.What to record in a custody journalA practical custody-journal contents checklist with inclusion rules, realistic entries, evidence references and a monthly chronology method.Custody documentation mistakes to avoidTen custody-documentation mistakes with practical fixes, factual rewrites and a pre-save checklist for stronger co-parenting records.
Handovers, visits and money
Missed pickups, denied visits, late support and shared costs, and what to note each time.
How to document parenting time exchangesRecord parenting time exchanges with scheduled time, actual time, place, messages and issues so patterns are clear without emotional wording.What happens when a parent misses visitationWhat to do when the other parent doesn't show up for their parenting time: how to record no-shows, track the pattern, and keep the effect on your child factual.How to log denied or withheld visitationLog denied or withheld visitation with the schedule source, proof made at the time, cancelled visits, make-up time and neutral wording for withholding.How to document custody order violationsDocument custody order violations by linking the order term, actual event, evidence, response, impact and professional-review question.How to document late or missed child support paymentsHow to document late, missed or partial child support payments with due dates, amounts, proof and a running payment history.How to track shared child expenses after divorceA simple way to track shared child expenses after divorce with receipts, reimbursement status, messages and a clear running record.What to look for in a custody exchange tracking appHow to choose a custody exchange tracking app that records scheduled time, actual time, messages, evidence and clean exports.
High-conflict situations
Harassment, false accusations and boundaries, written up in a way that protects you.
How to keep useful records in high-conflict co-parentingA selective high-conflict co-parenting record system focused on child impact, patterns, boundaries, safety and an organised chronology.Co-parent harassment: examples and how to document themExamples of co-parent harassment, which details belong in a written record, and how to log repeated contact, threats and pressure factually.When a co-parent makes false accusationsHow to answer false accusations in a custody case with dated records: capture the exact claim, gather material created at the time, keep your reply factual.A practical co-parenting boundaries checklistA plain co-parenting boundaries checklist for communication, schedule changes, expenses and child-focused records.
Evidence and record types
Messages, calls, photos, school and medical records, and how to keep each one usable.
What counts as evidence in a child custody case?Learn which records may matter in a child custody case, what each can and cannot show, and how to preserve messages, photos, schedules, school records, medical records and expenses.How to organize custody evidenceOrganize custody evidence with an issue map, master index, chronology, source files and a review workflow that keeps relevant material easy to find.How to organize text messages for custody evidencePreserve custody-related text messages with sender, date, surrounding context, originals, issue tags and chronology references instead of isolated screenshots.How to document call logs and voicemail in custody casesDocument call logs and voicemails with dates, participants, summaries and exact words where needed, including how to record calls the other parent blocks.How to keep a contact log for family courtA practical contact log for family court: planned contact, actual contact, missed time, communication, evidence and review-ready exports.How to organize photo and video evidence in custody casesPreserve photo and video evidence with originals, dates, context, metadata notes, event links and professional-review limits.How to organize school records in custody casesOrganize school records for custody preparation: attendance, lateness, teacher emails, pickup records, activities, source context and review packs.How to organize medical records in custody casesOrganize medical records for custody preparation: appointments, instructions, medication, communication, expenses, privacy and review-ready exports.
Lawyers, mediation and court
Getting your records ready for a lawyer, a mediator, a guardian ad litem or a modification.
Child custody laws by stateWhat each state calls custody, where the court starts, the factors it weighs and the rules on moving. Plain-language guides built from the statutes.How to prepare custody records for your lawyer or solicitorPrepare a focused custody-record review pack with an issue list, chronology, question sheet, evidence index and transparent gaps for a lawyer or solicitor.How to prepare records for custody mediationPrepare a custody mediation working pack with issues, child-focused interests, options, practical facts, proposals and an agreement log rather than an evidence dump.How to prepare records for a guardian ad litemPrepare child-focused records for a guardian ad litem or Children's Guardian with a role check, routine map, selective chronology and transparent source index.How to organize records for a custody modificationOrganize custody modification records around the existing order, dated change, child-related impact, attempted response and supporting sources.
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