Child custody issues can be emotional and stressful for everyone involved. If you have been unable to reach an agreement regarding custody with your child’s other parent or if your situation is highly contentious, you may want to seek legal help and take your issue to court.
Every child custody proceeding starts with a written submission to the court. In this document, you include your position and what outcome you would like for the child custody case. Your lawyer can help you provide supporting evidence for your claims along with the written document. Some of the documents to include with your written submission are found here:
Phone call logs
Keep a record of phone calls made between your child and the other parent. Be sure to include when the calls occur, how long they last and how frequently they happen. Does the other parent try to call the child through video messaging, like Skype or Facetime? Do they call at a set time every week or day? Be sure to include as many details about these calls as you can.
Visitation schedules
Record any visitation between your child and their other parent on your cellphone calendar or a notepad. Like the phone log, your visitation log should include when visits happen, where they happen, the frequency and how long the visits last.
The child’s records
The written submission should include your child’s school report cards, doctor’s reports and any emergency treatment records you have. You can also ask coaches, neighbors and teachers to provide written statements about the relationship you have with your child to support your position.
Creating an effective written submission
If you want to give yourself the best chance of a successful outcome for your child custody case, you need to ensure you include all pertinent information with your written submission. Knowing your legal rights and options in these cases will also help you know what to expect.