Eight stages. One steady record.

What to keep

• Upload your current order or decree

  Everything is measured against what the order actually says.

• Log each exchange (on time, late, missed)

  Patterns of missed time are only provable if logged as they happen.

• Move co-parent communication to one written channel

  A co-parenting app or email creates a timestamped record both sides can see.

• Name the people in your children's lives

  Doctors, teachers and therapists become witnesses and record sources later.

• Keep proof of support and expenses paid

  Payment history answers 'doesn't help financially' claims instantly.

What you can request yourself

• School records (report cards, attendance, discipline)

  Most parents with rights can request these directly under FERPA.

• Children's medical and dental records / portal access

  As a parent with conservatorship you usually have a right of access.

• Your own bank / payroll records for support paid

  Your statements prove what you paid and when.

Usually arrives via discovery

Typically nothing at this stage.

Watch out for

• Don't record calls or conversations without checking your state's consent law.
• Don't vent in writing. Assume every message will be read aloud to a judge.
• Follow the current order even when the other parent doesn't.

What to keep

• Upload the petition and your answer

  The pleadings define what the case is about.

• Export a one-page case summary for your attorney

  Saves billed hours spent reconstructing history.

• Build a key-events timeline

  Attorneys and judges think in timelines.

What you can request yourself

• Export your full co-parenting app history

  OFW/TalkingParents exports are often used as exhibits.

• Download prior filings from the court clerk

  Prior orders and filings are usually public or available to parties.

Usually arrives via discovery

Typically nothing at this stage.

Watch out for

• Missing an answer deadline can mean a default judgment.
• Your attorney, not the app, decides legal strategy.

What to keep

• Upload signed temporary orders

  New obligations and deadlines start now; track compliance against them.

• Track compliance with every ordered item

  Enforcement letters and motions rely on dated non-compliance.

• Add ordered evaluations and therapy to the Care tracker

  Delay in ordered care is one of the most common and provable issues.

What you can request yourself

• Contact court-ordered providers directly

  Book your own intake promptly; your responsiveness is part of the record.

Usually arrives via discovery

Typically nothing at this stage.

Watch out for

• Temporary orders are hard to change later. Prepare as if it's the main event.
• Temporary hearings are short, often 1–2 hours per side. A 2–4 page summary and 10–20 key exhibits beat a stack of paper.
• A TRO typically lasts about 14 days or until the temporary hearing.

What to keep

• Ingest every production into the Vault

  Tag people and dates so thousands of pages become searchable.

• Log statements vs. records

  Sworn answers that conflict with documents matter at hearing.

• Review the Gap Finder for missing records

  Missing documents become follow-up requests or subpoenas.

What you can request yourself

• Answer your own discovery accurately and on time

  Late or incomplete responses hurt credibility and can bring sanctions.

Usually arrives via discovery

• The other party's bank, card and tax records
• Pharmacy fill histories and prescriber records
• Therapist and counselor files (often subject to privilege fights)
• Third-party texts and emails
• Employer and pay records
• Depositions of the parties and witnesses

Watch out for

• Responses are usually due about 30 days after service (Texas Rules 196–198).
• Requests for admission you don't answer on time can be deemed admitted. Never ignore them.
• Third-party subpoenas (schools, pharmacies, banks) require advance notice to the other side (Texas Rule 205).
• Keep produced documents confidential and follow any protective order.
• Therapy records may carry special privilege; ask your attorney before sharing them.

What to keep

• Prepare a collateral contacts list

  Teachers, coaches and doctors who can speak to your parenting.

• Share a scoped packet with the evaluator

  Give what's relevant, organized and sourced; not everything.

• Document your participation

  Appointments attended, school meetings, activities: third-party proof is strongest.

What you can request yourself

Nothing new to request at this stage. Keep earlier requests current.

Usually arrives via discovery

• Evaluator's report (often released to attorneys first)

Watch out for

• Never coach the children.
• Don't disparage the other parent to the evaluator; describe behavior and its effect on the kids.

What to keep

• Draft your proposed parenting plan

  Mediators work from concrete proposals.

• Export a mediation summary brief

  Short, sourced and child-focused.

What you can request yourself

Nothing new to request at this stage. Keep earlier requests current.

Usually arrives via discovery

Typically nothing at this stage.

Watch out for

• A signed mediated settlement agreement is often irrevocable. Read every line.

What to keep

• Export the full sourced brief

  Every claim traced to a document, message or record.

• Mark originals and fingerprints for exhibits

  SHA-256 fingerprints show files weren't altered after upload.

• Share the final packet with counsel

  Scoped, watermarked, with recipient sign-off.

What you can request yourself

Nothing new to request at this stage. Keep earlier requests current.

Usually arrives via discovery

Typically nothing at this stage.

Watch out for

• Exhibit deadlines are often 7–14 days before the hearing.
• Business-records affidavits must be served at least 14 days before trial (Texas Rule of Evidence 902(10)).
• Texas allows a jury on conservatorship questions; most states don't.
• Arbitration is usually binding with very limited appeal.

What to keep

• Upload the final order and set its key terms

  Schedules, notice requirements and decision-making rules.

• Keep logging exchanges

  Enforcement requires specific dates of denied possession.

• Log required notices (medication, travel, school)

  Many orders require advance written notice; track both directions.

What you can request yourself

Nothing new to request at this stage. Keep earlier requests current.

Usually arrives via discovery

Typically nothing at this stage.

Watch out for

• Modification usually requires a material and substantial change in circumstances (Texas Family Code §156.101).
• Within one year of an order, changing the primary residence needs a sworn affidavit (Texas Family Code §156.102).
• Enforcement motions need specific violations: the date, the order provision, and what happened.