Template
Co-Parent Communication Log
A co-parent communication log is a record of messages that changed the schedule, the child's care, or a decision you were supposed to make together. It is not a diary of every irritated text. This page shows what to keep, what to skip, and a template you can copy. It is not legal advice.
What to record, and what to ignore
Save a message when it does one of these things:
- Confirms, moves, or refuses parenting time.
- Gives or withholds notice about school, medical care, travel, or childcare.
- States who will pay a child-related cost, or refuses to.
- Repeats often enough that you would want the dates in one place.
Skip messages that only trade insults, rehash the relationship, or have no effect on the child or the schedule. If you answer, write the way you would want a stranger to read later: short, specific, and calm. Assume the other parent is keeping messages too.
Phone calls disappear. If a call changes the plan, send a short follow-up text: "Confirming our call. Pickup will be at 5:30 p.m. at school." Log the call and the text. Know your state's consent rules before you record a call. Ask a lawyer before you record anyone.
Fields for each row
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date and time | When the message was sent, not when you got around to logging it. |
| Channel | Text, email, app, or phone call. |
| Who sent it | You, the other parent, or a third person such as a school. |
| Exact words | Quote the sentence that matters. Paraphrase the rest in one line. |
| What changed | Pickup time, a medical decision, a payment, or "nothing yet." |
| Your reply | The words you sent, or "no reply." |
| Proof | Screenshot or export file name. |
Two fictional examples
These rows are made up. They are not a real case.
Worth logging
March 12, 2026, 4:10 p.m. Text from Parent B: "Doctor moved the checkup to Thursday at 2. I already said yes." Parent A had not been asked. Reply at 4:22 p.m.: "Please send me the office name and the new time. I want the after-visit note." Proof: 2026-03-12-checkup-text.png.
Leave it out
March 13, 2026. Text from Parent B: "You never listen." No schedule, no child-care fact, no decision. You can ignore it. Answering in the same tone makes a record you will not want to reread.
Tie the message to the event
A screenshot in a camera roll is easy to lose. In Custody Journal you can log the message and attach it to the exchange, expense, or school note it changed. The in-app steps are in how to log co-parent communication.
Start a free communication logCommon questions
Do I have to paste every message?
No. Quote the line that changed something. Keep the screenshot so the surrounding thread is still there if your lawyer asks for it.
What if the other parent will not use an app?
You can still keep your own log. Texts and email remain the message. The log is your index of those messages. Custody Journal does not require the other parent to sign up.