Founder / Creator
Slantwire Studios and Custody Folio
I began building my products at night, after my daughter went to sleep, while working and navigating a contentious divorce. Building and creating became a creative outlet. I now use Custody Folio, the app I created, every day to keep my parenting notes and original files organised. That personal experience shapes the question behind my work: how can keeping records fit into a life that still needs room for everything else?
One useful place to start is the next practical question you need to answer. What time was collection agreed? Which receipt goes with this expense? Where is the message confirming a change? A recordkeeping system should make those answers easier to find when you need them.
For a routine entry, try giving yourself a small, defined task: preserve the relevant message, add a brief factual note if one is needed, and put it somewhere you can find again. You do not need to write an argument about the whole relationship each time you save a record.
Imagine a fictional change to a collection arrangement. A useful note might say: “14 September, 3:20 pm: received a message asking to move collection from 4 pm to 4:30 pm. Replied at 3:25 pm agreeing. Original conversation saved with the entry.” That gives a future reader something concrete. “They never respect my
time” expresses frustration, but does not explain what happened on that occasion.
Distinguish what you observed from what you were told, and from what you think it means. If you write a note later, record when you wrote it rather than presenting it as a note made at the time. Keep your summary separate from the original material. WomensLaw’s documentation guidance emphasises recording dates, times and what happened without altering the evidence itself.
Preserving information and repeatedly reviewing it are different activities. You may need to retain a conversation without reading it again every evening. Keep the original available, including relevant context, and use a short label or note to help you retrieve it. A summary is a finding aid, not a replacement for the source.
The pressure to capture everything perfectly can become another job. Rather than spending an evening making duplicate screenshots, establish how important messages and files will be preserved and backed up. Check that a saved file actually opens. Do not assume that a screenshot contains everything your adviser may need, or that an app will retain a message indefinitely. The eSafety
Commissioner advises keeping original evidence unchanged and avoiding pressure to create a perfect record. Safety comes first when collecting it.
You can also give routine administrative work a stopping point. Depending on your circumstances, a short planned session might be enough to label new files, connect a receipt to an entry and note anything requiring a response. Once that task is complete, close the folder or app. That is a suggestion for organising your work, not a rule about when you should respond to your child’s other
parent. Urgent needs, existing arrangements and any required response times still matter.
Keep the communication itself focused on the practical issue. A message confirming tomorrow’s collection does not need to resolve yesterday’s disagreement. Cafcass recommends keeping communication about children’s needs separate from other disputes, and says children should not be used to pass messages between parents. Your child does not need to become part of the recordkeeping process either.
These ideas need to fit your actual circumstances. If there are threats, abuse, monitoring or legal proceedings, seek advice about safe storage, what to preserve and any requirements that apply to you. A routine for organising records should not become a reason to delete originals, delay urgent help or disregard professional advice.
At the end of a recordkeeping session, aim for a concrete stopping point: the original is preserved, the note is accurate, and you know where to find both. Then there is room to return to work, make dinner, spend time with your child or do something you enjoy creating. Those parts of life deserve space on the calendar too.
About Baily Hartman
Baily Hartman is the founder of Slantwire Studios and creator of Custody Folio. He began building his products at night, after his daughter went to sleep, while working and navigating a contentious divorce. Building and creating became a creative outlet and a way to turn problems he faced into something useful. He uses Custody Folio every day to keep his own parenting notes and original files organized. That experience continues to guide his work: creating practical tools that help people find what they need and feel more in control of their lives.
