Basic Custody Agreements

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to file for custody of your child, you may not know where to start. One thing you should do early on is make a custody agreement.

A judge will typically approve any agreement submitted jointly by parents.

If you're unable to reach an agreement with the other parent, the court will make custody decisions for you. In this case, you can present a proposed custody agreement to demonstrate your desires to the judge.

Basic elements

The basic components of a custody agreement are:

• A declaration of custody
• The division of parental authority and decision-making abilities
• A child visitation schedule
• Methods for reviewing and modifying the custody agreement
• A method of dispute resolution
• Any additional provisions you would like to include

Check your state's custody agreement requirements to see if you need to add anything else.

You can have a legal professional create a custody agreement for you, or you can save money by writing one yourself (individually or with the other parent). If you make an agreement yourself, let the Custody X Change app walk you through each step so you can be confident that your document is ready for court.

Custody

You will need to decide what kind of custody each parent is going to have and include it in your agreement.

There are two types of custody. They may be referred to by slightly different terms in some states.

• Physical custody refers to the physical care and custody of the child.
• Legal custody refers to a parent's right to make major decisions for the child.

You will need to decide how you are going to divide both types of custody.

• Sole custody means that one parent has custody.
• Joint custody means both parents have custody.

It is possible to have different combinations of custody. For example, one parent may have sole physical custody while both share joint legal custody.

Once you have decided the custody you want, including this in your agreement is as easy as clicking your mouse when you use Custody X Change.

Parental authority

If parents have joint legal custody, you should state who will be responsible for the various types of decisions.

You may decide both parents should have equal input into every decision or you may divide responsibilities. For example, one parent may be responsible for the child's religious upbringing, while the other makes decisions about the child's education.

However you decide to share the responsibility, Custody X Change allows you to add the stipulations to your custody agreement.

Child visitation schedules

You will need to include a child visitation schedule in your custody agreement. Include regular visitation, holiday visitation and vacation.

Once you decide how you'll share your child's time, you can use Custody X Change to create a child visitation schedule. You can print, export or sync your visitation calendar so you won't have to bother with counting days.

Making changes

You child's needs will change as he or she grows older. The custody agreement you create now may not be relevant in five years, so you should include a process for periodically reviewing it and making changes.

When you make changes, you can file them with the court and ask a judge to modify your agreement accordingly.

Custody X Change isn't just for your initial custody agreement. It saves your document and makes modifying easy — even years down the road.

Dispute resolution

The last thing you want to do is spend the coming years fighting with the other parent about your child. Include a method for dispute resolution in your agreement so you can turn to it when you disagree.

Some parents agree to meet with a counselor, a mutual friend, a religious leader or a mediator to resolve disputes. Returning to court should be the very last resort.

Additional provisions

Custody X Change lets you include as many additional provisions regarding the care and custody of your child as you want. You can select from popular options, plus write in custom ones to fit your unique situation.

For example, if you're tired of sending your child in clean clothes only to have her returned in stained ones, you can include a stipulation in your agreement about the care and return of your child's property. If you're worried you'll have to do all the transporting between homes, you can address this in the agreement, too.

The easiest way to make a custody agreement

Creating a custody agreement on your own can feel overwhelming. You have to be sure to use airtight legal language and can't omit any required information.

Use technology to take the guesswork out of the equation. The Custody X Change app walks you through each step of creating a comprehensive custody agreement.

The result is a professional document that demonstrates your competence as a parent and secures your child's future.

The easiest and most reliable way to make a custody agreement is with Custody X Change.