By situation
Custody documentation for your situation
The habits of a good record are universal, but what you most need to prove is not. An involved father, a deployed service member, and a parent standing in court alone each carry a different burden. Find the guidance written for yours.
fathers
Involvement assumptions · Daily caregiving
mothers
Invisible mental load · Children's needs
unmarried parents
Establish parentage · A prior court order
military parents
Deployment & PCS · Family care plan
long-distance co-parents
Often virtual · Travel & exchanges
high-conflict co-parenting
Stay factual · Tamper-evident history
parents representing themselves (pro se)
Own evidence manager · Contemporaneous facts
Looking for the rules where you live? See documentation by state, or start with the fundamentals in our guides.
These pages are general information reviewed in August 2026, not legal advice. Laws change; consult a family-law attorney in your state.