Every co-parenting situation is different, but there is one fact that remains the same across all cases: it is always a good idea to track your child custody schedule.
Why track your child custody schedule?
The reasons vary: maybe your co-parent is upset with the court’s decision and plans to challenge it. Maybe you plan to challenge the decision yourself. Maybe you’re in the middle of a divorce and your custody schedule is still being decided. Or maybe you live in a state that requires parenting plans be reevaluated ever few years.
No matter the reason, if there is even the slightest chance that you will return to court to adjust your custody agreement (and there is always a chance), it is in your best interest to track your custody schedule.
If or when you return to court, your lawyer and the judge will likely ask for in-depth information about your parenting history – including how well you and your co-parent followed the original custody plan.
If your co-parent claims that you often were late to pick-ups and drop-offs or missed days with the kids that should have been yours, your custody case could turn into a battle of “he said/she said.” Alternatively, if you are trying to prove that your co-parent was the one who consistently ignored or violated the custody plan, it will be helpful to have concrete evidence on your side.
How to track your child custody schedule:
There are a variety of ways to keep track of your schedule, and you can decide which system works best for you.
You can take notes after each custody exchange or at the end of each week – keeping the information on your phone or in a notebook designated specifically for custody records.
You can take voice memos on your phone so that each one is date-stamped.
Or you can download a co-parenting app.
Using a co-parenting app like Truece, Fayr, or Co-Parently is arguably the most effective option when tracking custody history. All entries are time, date, and often location stamped, which make them a more reliable source in court.
Some apps include a geo-fence option, meaning you can program the app to prompt a reminder for you to record a custody exchange any time you approach a location you regularly use for pick-ups and drop-offs.
Certain apps, like Truece, will even generate a report for you when requested, providing the entire custody history you’ve recorded in the app in one simple document – ideal for submitting in court!
Easy access to a thorough and accurate custody history will save you a ton of time, money, and headache down the line.
To sum up:
Track your child custody schedule to be more prepared for custody court.
The easiest way to track custody history is with a co-parenting app.
Depending on the app, benefits of use may include:
– Time, date, location stamped entries for greater accuracy and clarity
– Prompts on your phone reminding you to log custody time when you approach an assigned pick-up/drop-off location
– Custody history searchable by keyword
– Available court-admissible reports of custody history
For more information about how co-parenting apps can make your life easier, click here. To download the Truece app and begin keeping concise, accurate records of your child custody schedule, click here.