Blog ยท
Better Documentation for a Custody Journal
Better documentation is mostly a habit: write the fact the same day, attach the file to that note, and keep a correction instead of a silent edit. The tips below match how Custody Journal is built. They are not a promise about what a court will accept.
1. Capture the fact, not a guess
Put the date, the time, the place, and one or two sentences a stranger could follow. Name people the way you will still understand them in a year. If you are unsure of a minute, say "about 6:40 p.m." instead of inventing 6:37.
2. Attach the file to the entry
A photo in your camera roll is not part of the note until you connect them. Add the screenshot, receipt, or school PDF to the entry it explains. Keep the original if you can. The first-entry guide walks through that screen.
3. Let the draft save
Journal drafts save while you type, so a phone call in the middle of a note does not erase it. A draft is not the record. Read it and save the entry when the words are right.
4. Export a package, then read it
When someone asks for the history, use Reports and choose the date range and the child. Skim the export before you send it. Take out notes that are about a different issue. The steps are in exporting your journal.
5. Correct in the open
If a time was wrong, add a new line with today's date and the correction. Do not quietly replace the old sentence and hope no one notices. A visible correction is easier to explain than a file that changed with no trace you can describe.
Checklist before you share a stretch of the journal
- The date range matches what you were asked for.
- Each important claim has a file or a clear "no file saved."
- Times you are unsure about are labeled as approximate.
- You removed insults and guesses about motive.
- You can explain any correction you added later.
See the shape of a week in the custody journal example. All of the public pages are listed on Guides.