How-to guide
How to create your first custody journal entry
Start with one factual event, not your whole custody history.
If you are staring at a blank screen wondering what counts as a real first entry, start smaller than you think. Your first entry does not need to tell your whole story. It just needs to capture one factual event clearly enough that future-you, your attorney, or a judge can understand what happened.
Open Custody Journal and click New Entry. Choose the child if the entry applies to one child in particular, then set the date and time as accurately as you can. If you do not know the exact minute, use your best reasonable estimate and stay consistent. Add the location if it matters to the event.
Next, give the entry a short title that makes sense later at a glance, like Friday exchange arrived 37 minutes late or Phone call missed after 7:00 p.m. schedule. In the description box, keep it factual: what happened, when and where it happened, and what proof exists. The app supports templates by situation if you want a guided starting point, and draft auto-save runs while you type.
If you have screenshots, photos, PDFs, or even a voice memo, add them under Attachments. Voice files can help fill in your description, but still review the final text before saving. When you are done, click Create Entry.
Key points
- Write like someone else may read it later.
- Skip speeches, insults, and guesses.
- Short, specific, and factual beats emotional every time.