Separate facts from assumptions
Record what you observed, what someone said, and what you think without confusing them.
Documenting for Court
Turn scattered notes and screenshots into a record your attorney can use, and keep your child out of the evidence-gathering.
- 10 short lessons
- About one hour
- 13-page workbook
Skills class. No certificate.
Created by Suzanne Dircks
M.A., LMHC
- 44 years
- helping families through custody
- 1,000+
- Guardian ad Litem investigations
Build a record, not a weapon.
Ten short lessons move from deciding what belongs in the record to preserving originals, showing repeated problems, and writing messages a fair reader can follow. Suzanne Dircks, M.A., LMHC, wrote the record-keeping material behind this class. Her experience informs the method; it cannot predict what a court will do with your records.
Save originals
Keep the messages and files that connect a note to what happened.
Protect your child
Do not use children to collect proof.
What to include in your custody log
The Custody Record Log asks for these ten fields each time. It helps you separate what happened from what you assume, and connect a note to the original message or file.
Write as though your child may read it someday.
Custody Record Log
The fields in the three-page download, shown here before you enroll. Lesson 1-4 · Printable log.
- Event date and time
- Entry written on
- Place or type of message or call
- People present
- What was scheduled or expected
- What I saw, heard, received, sent, or did
- Important exact words and who said them
- What I noticed in the child
- What I did and what happened next
- Related original message, file, or court-order paragraph
One message, two ways to write it.
Suzanne’s lesson shows how to replace a personal accusation with the exchange time, the child’s schedule, and a useful question.
Instead of
“You are unbelievable. You are always late and obviously don't care about the kids.”
In the lesson
“The exchange was scheduled for 5:00 p.m., and it is now 5:25. Please tell me when you expect to arrive. Nora's school concert begins at 6:30, so we need to leave by 5:45.”
An example of factual wording, not legal advice or a script for every situation.
Ten short reading lessons
- 01
Read this first: safety and the limits of this class
- 02
A record, not a weapon
- 03
Decide what belongs in your record
- 04
Facts, what someone said, and your opinion
See all 10 lessons
- 05
Use the same simple format every time
- 06
Write in a way people can trust
- 07
Save the original: messages, photos, recordings
- 08
Do not use children to collect proof
- 09
Show a repeated problem without burying anyone in paper
- 10
Write messages as if a judge may read them
What you'll have at the end
Building a Credible Custody Record
Keep a 13-page printable workbook; your account records your completion.
About one hour at your own pace, with an optional eight-question self-check.
The printable workbook
- Custody Record Log, the same ten fields for every entry
- Before you save an entry, an eight-point check
- Monthly Problem Summary for your attorney
- Checklist for saving original records
- A simple weekly record-keeping routine
Record-keeping skills, not legal advice.
This class offers no certificate, legal advice or guarantee that a court will admit records. It does not replace a court-ordered parenting course. Evidence, privacy and recording rules vary by state. Follow court orders; ask a family-law attorney in your state before recording anyone or submitting records.
If you were ordered to take a parenting class, start with the court-ordered course.
10 reading lessons
Short enough to take on your phone.
13-page workbook
A printable PDF for your own records.
Optional self-check
Eight questions to check what you learned.
Frequently asked questions
Will this meet my court-ordered class requirement?
No. This is an optional record-keeping skills class. It does not issue a certificate or replace a court-ordered parenting course. If your court has ordered you to take a class, compare the order with our court-ordered course before buying.
Does it come with a certificate?
No. Your completion is recorded in your account; this class does not issue a certificate.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general education for parents in United States custody cases. Rules about evidence, privacy, sharing records, and recording people differ from state to state. The class tells you to follow every court order and to ask a family-law attorney in your state before you record anyone or give records to the court.
Can I take it on my phone?
Yes. The ten lessons are short reading lessons you can take on your phone. The workbook is a printable PDF for your own records.
Who wrote it?
Suzanne Dircks, M.A., LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor with 44 years of custody work and more than 1,000 Guardian ad Litem investigations. This class is adapted from her completed record-keeping manuscript.
Start tonight. Your progress saves as you go.
Start the class · $39.95Ten lessons, an optional self-check, and a printable workbook to guide what you keep. One-time purchase · No certificate is issued.
