Whether it is divorce or one of several other areas of family law in which child visitation is involved, many people are uncertain about the value of custody logs. You might wonder why it is even necessary to keep a written list of visitation details as well as keys events. Not only is the value of a custody log uncertain, keeping one in proper order is often a lot of work.
Keeping the calendar is a weekly if not daily routine. Other people decide to use a software program to keep details of visitation. This can help save time, but people are often still confused about the purpose of such a log.
The Role in Contested Cases
If there are no situations involving abuse or neglect in your divorce and both parties equally divide custody and visitation time, there might not be much value in maintaining a custody log. If any of these factors exist or if the opposing spouses have differing perspectives on custody or visitation issues, custody logs can be invaluable. Some of the ways these logs can help include:
- To establish a routine. Custody logs might be used to show that both parents have been following a certain schedule over time.
- Parental alienation. In cases where a parent alleges parental alienation, a custody log can be used to establish that one party was denied custody time.
- Evidence. There are even some situations where custody logs are used as evidence in a trial or an evidentiary hearing.
Despite these advantages provided by custody logs, parties must also be careful to avoid using custody logs to vent their emotions. In situations where custody turns into an emotional sounding board, they can end up having a negative impact on a case. This means that if you plan on utilizing a custody log, you should often first speak to a knowledgeable family law attorney.
Tips to Follow if You Keep a Custody Log
If you do decide to keep a custody journal, there are some important tips that you should remember. These includes:
- Write in the journal on a routine basis. Make sure that everything is written down in chronological order. If you decide to keep the log on your computer, you should email a copy to your lawyer and carbon copy yourself routinely so this demonstrates when the log was written.
- Record any communication that you have with the other parent. This means making note of in-person communication as well as phone conversations. These notes should include details about how long the conversation was and exactly information was shared.
- In addition to making notes of disagreements that you have with the other spouse, you should also write down positive details about the parent. This helps to provide the sense that the log is an unbiased recording of events.
Speak with an Experienced Georgia Family Law Attorney
Custody logs are just one of the many nuanced areas of family law. If you are curious about the role these logs can play or if you need the assistance of an experienced family law attorney, contact Vayman & Teitelbaum, PC today to schedule a case evaluation.