By state
Custody documentation, state by state
The habits of good documentation are universal. Three things aren’t: whether you may record conversations, what your state’s courts call custody, and where your case would be heard. Pick your state for the specifics.
California
Legal custody and physical custody · Superior Court's family law division
Texas
Conservatorship (managing and possessory conservators) rather than custody · District Court
Florida
Parental responsibility (shared or sole) and time-sharing rather than custody and visitation · Circuit Court's family division
New York
Legal custody and physical (residential) custody · Family Court (or the Supreme Court within a divorce case)
Pennsylvania
Legal custody and physical custody · Court of Common Pleas
Illinois
Allocation of parental responsibilities (decision-making) and parenting time rather than custody and visitation · Circuit Court
Ohio
Allocation of parental rights and responsibilities · Court of Common Pleas
Georgia
Legal custody and physical custody · Superior Court
North Carolina
Legal custody and physical custody · District Court
Michigan
Legal custody and physical custody · Circuit Court's family division
More states are on the way. The record-keeping fundamentals for every state are in our guides.
These pages are general information reviewed in July 2026, not legal advice. Laws change; consult a family-law attorney in your state.