7 Ways to Use the Custody X Change App in Michigan
The Custody X Change app helps Michigan parents manage the custody process. Perhaps most importantly, it lets them create their required parenting schedule and optional parenting plan with guidance and flexibility.
It can help parents representing themselves and parents working with lawyers. Custody X Change professional software is popular with lawyers and others working in family law, as well.
Below, find seven ways to use the Custody X Change app in the Great Lakes State.
1. Influence Friend of the Court recommendations
You'll work with your county's Friend of the Court (FOC) office throughout the custody process.
The office may give the judge recommendations for orders in your case, so arrive to all your FOC meetings with information that could positively impact these recommendations.
Bring your preferred parenting schedule and parenting plan, both built with Custody X Change to meet your family's needs. And use the app's parenting time tracker, expense tracker and parenting journal to demonstrate how well you care for your children.
After your case, the FOC helps you enforce or modify your final orders — but only if you have evidence proving the necessity. Here again, you can use Custody X Change to collect the information you need to get a favorable outcome for your children.
2. Negotiate with the other parent
It can be difficult to explain what you want for your children. Your Custody X Change documents, complete with a visual calendar, help you express your concerns to the other parent so you can find common ground.
The Custody X Change app lets you create multiple parenting schedules and plans so you can present the other parent with options.
Bring these documents whenever you discuss custody with the other parent, whether in Friend of the Court meetings, mediation, collaborative law sessions or other negotiations.
3. Settle your case
Settling is the quickest and least expensive way to resolve your case, and it gives you control over your final custody arrangement.
You need a parenting schedule to get your settlement approved, and experts recommend submitting a parenting plan, as well. You can create custom versions of each with Custody X Change. Turn in these instead of using the court's parenting schedule template, or attach them to the court template to add parenting provisions specific to your family.
Parenting schedules and plans determine your family's custody arrangement for years to come, so the court's one-size-fits-all document may not get the job done on its own.
4. Track actual parenting time
Throughout your case, you should track exactly how many nights your children spend with each parent. The figure affects child support, plus Friend of the Court case managers, custody investigators, mediators and judges need to know it.
After your case, continue tracking parenting time in case you need to ask the court to modify or enforce your orders.
The Custody X Change parenting time tracker lets you record when a parent is late for a pickup, cancels a visit and more. Included in the Custody X Change app, it compares actual overnights to planned overnights and calculates discrepancies.
5. Organize evidence
Organizing all the evidence you need for your case can feel impossible. But Custody X Change keeps you on top of it by letting you instantly retrieve information.
Use the app's parenting journal to note important dates, interactions and more. You can upload files like screenshots or medical records, then tag each item to generate issue-specific reports.
The app also has a messaging center that stores all communication between parents. With just a few clicks, print or save a message report, complete with read receipts. You can focus the report by filtering for specific labels or keywords.
The app's expense tracker is just as critical. Track what you spend on your children in various categories, then add notes and upload files like receipts or photos.
6. Present information to the court
In hearings, you need to show the judge or domestic relations referee as much information as possible so they understand your family's situation.
Presenting well-prepared documents, like your Custody X Change parenting schedule and parenting plan, not only provides necessary information but also demonstrates your responsibility.
Take advantage of Custody X Change so your exhibits look the part inside a courtroom.
7. Follow orders
It's essential that you follow your court orders. If you don't, you can be charged with contempt of court, fined and more.
But understanding your order for parenting time can be difficult. Use Custody X Change to turn it into a shareable parenting calendar with push notifications so you're sure to stick to it correctly.