6 Ways to Use the Custody X Change App in Illinois

The Custody X Change app allows Illinoisans to create their own parenting plans and parenting time schedules with guidance, flexibility and independence.

It can help parents representing themselves, parents working with lawyers, and parents settling custody through mediation or collaboration. Custody X Change professional software is commonly used by lawyers and others working in family law, as well.

Below, find six ways to use the Custody X Change app in Illinois.

1. Presenting options to the other parent

It's easier to express what you want for your child when you put it on paper. Showing your preferred parenting plan and schedule to the other parent can help them understand your concerns, as well as identify points where they agree with you.

You should bring your Custody X Change documents whenever you discuss parental responsibilities with the other parent, whether it's in court-mandated mediation, private mediation, collaborative law or on your own.

2. Presenting a proposal to the judge

Judges need as much information as possible to understand a family's situation and issue a decision. You can help by showing the judge your preferred Custody X Change parenting plan and calendar during a conference, hearing or trial. He or she will take it into consideration when deciding the details of your final judgment.

3. Filing as part of a settlement

If you and the other parent reach an understanding, you can file an agreement with the court to make it a final judgment. Submit your Custody X Change plan as part of your settlement to detail your agreed-upon stipulations in a personalized format.

4. Journaling evidence

A digital journal serves as evidence of your family life before and after a custody order. Details, like taking your child to medical appointments or assigning age-appropriate chores, can help demonstrate how you positively impact your child. You can also document problems with the other parent, such as canceled visits or aggressive behavior.

5. Tracking actual parenting time

Prior to receiving court orders, track your parenting time to show the court who's been caring for your child hour by hour. Judges often like to maintain the balance of parenting time a family is used to.

After the court gives orders, use Custody X Change to compare the time you were awarded with the time you really receive. Mark your calendar when a parent is late for an exchange or cancels a visit, then print a report calculating the effect on custody time. Data is crucial when you ask for a modification to orders, or when a judge considers how temporary orders have worked before issuing a final judgment.

6. Implementing court orders

Once the court issues orders, it's essential that you follow them to the letter. If you don't, you can be brought back to court and even charged with a crime. But orders for parenting time can be particularly difficult to decipher. When exactly does "Week 2" begin this month? Which day is considered the middle of winter break?

Use Custody X Change to transform your order into a shareable calendar with optional push notifications, so you'll never have to wonder whether you're staying in compliance.