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Daily log entries
Date, entry type, children involved, what happened in facts only, witnesses, evidence, and follow-up — the same structure attorneys ask for.
Free download
Free Printable Custody Log Template
Three court-minded log sheets in one PDF: a daily custody journal entry form, an exchange log, and a child expense log. Print a stack, keep them with you, and log the facts while they are still fresh. No email address required.
What’s inside the template
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Exchange log
Scheduled versus actual times, location, on-time or missed, and condition notes. Late and missed exchanges only matter if you can show the pattern.
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Child expense log
Date, category, amount, who paid, receipt status, and reimbursement notes. Boring, complete records win expense disputes.
How to keep a custody log a judge can respect
- Log the same day. Contemporaneous records carry weight; reconstructions do not.
- Facts only. Who, what, when, where. Save opinions and feelings for your therapist, not your log.
- Never edit an old entry. If something changes, add a new dated entry. Edited logs look manufactured.
- Attach the evidence you mention. A log line that says “see photo” needs the photo stored somewhere safe.
- Date and initial every page. Consistency is what makes a paper log credible.
When paper stops being enough
Paper works until you need to attach a photo, search six months of entries, or hand your attorney a clean chronology the night before a hearing. Custody Journal is the digital version of this template: timestamped entries that cannot be backdated, photo and document storage, expense tracking, and a court-ready export. It starts free, and no one else has to sign up.
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