Working with your attorney

Bring a focused question

Start with the decision you need help making: how to preserve records, respond to a missed exchange, request a modification, or address a safety concern. Your attorney can tell you which facts and documents matter in your jurisdiction.

Separate the record from your interpretation

• Use dates, times, exact words, actions, and sources.
• Mark what you personally observed versus what someone reported.
• Keep original messages, files, and metadata in their original locations.
• Label uncertainty instead of filling gaps with a motive.
• Include your own responses and any steps you took to de-escalate.

Ask what the court can actually use

Rules about authentication, hearsay, recording consent, parenting plans, and custody factors vary. Ask your attorney how to preserve and present records rather than assuming a PDF or app export is automatically admissible.

Do not recruit the child as a witness

Do not rehearse testimony, ask the child to collect evidence, or ask them to choose between parents. If a child reports danger, respond to the safety need and follow professional advice rather than conducting an investigation yourself.