When you're involved in family court proceedings, good documentation can make a significant difference to your case. Evidence that's well-organised, factual, and timely helps judges, Cafcass officers, and solicitors understand what's happening and make decisions that protect you and your children.

This guide explains how to document evidence effectively for UK family court, from keeping daily records to creating evidence bundles that support your case.

Important: This guide provides general information about documentation. It does not replace legal advice. Always consult a solicitor for specific advice about your case.

Why Documentation Matters in Family Court

In UK family court, evidence helps professionals understand patterns of behaviour, assess risks, and make decisions about child arrangements, contact, and protective orders.

What Evidence Does

Well-documented evidence helps:

• Show patterns of behaviour – Repeated incidents are often more significant than isolated events. A pattern of concerning behaviour is stronger evidence than a single incident.
• Provide context – Evidence helps judges, Cafcass officers, and solicitors understand what's happening over time, not just isolated moments.
• Support your case – Well-documented evidence can support applications for protective orders, restrictions on contact, or changes to child arrangements.
• Protect you and your children – Evidence can help professionals assess risks and make decisions that prioritise safety.

Good documentation is factual, dated, and organised. It shows what happened, when it happened, and the impact it had.

What to Document: A Practical Guide

Not everything needs to be documented, but you should focus on incidents and patterns that are relevant to your case. Here's what to prioritise:

Significant Incidents

Document incidents that:

• Involve threats or intimidation
• Violate court orders
• Show concerning behaviour around children
• Create financial issues that affect children
• Escalate conflict through communication
• Raise safety concerns

Patterns of Behaviour

Keep track of patterns, not just isolated incidents:

• Repeated incidents of the same type (e.g., repeated violations of communication boundaries)
• Escalation cycles (tensions building, incidents happening, then apparent calm before repeating)
• Times when incidents are more likely (around handovers, court dates, etc.)
• Changes in behaviour patterns over time

Impact on Children

Document how incidents affect children:

• How incidents affect children emotionally or physically
• Children's reactions or concerns they've expressed
• Changes in children's behaviour or wellbeing
• Any direct impact on children's safety or welfare

Communication Issues

Keep records of communication problems:

• Messages that escalate conflict
• Refusal to communicate about important matters (school, health, etc.)
• Inappropriate communication (times, content, tone)
• Violations of communication boundaries

How to Document: Best Practices

How you document evidence matters as much as what you document. Here are the key principles:

Be Factual and Specific

Focus on facts – what happened, when, where, who was present. Include specific details that help professionals understand what happened.

Instead of: "He was being really aggressive and scary again."

Try: "At 3:15pm on Friday 12 January during handover at the school gate, he raised his voice, called me names in front of the children, and refused to leave when asked. Children appeared distressed. School staff intervened."

Include Key Details

Every entry should include:

• Date and time – When did it happen?
• Location – Where did it happen?
• Who was present – Were children there? Any witnesses?
• What happened – Factual description without speculation
• Impact – How did it affect you or children?
• Action taken – Did you report it? Seek support? Document it?

Document Promptly

Document incidents as soon as possible after they happen, while details are fresh. Waiting days or weeks makes it harder to remember specifics.

Use a Consistent Format

Use the same format for each entry. This makes it easier to:

• Find specific incidents later
• See patterns emerge over time
• Share information with professionals
• Create summaries and timelines

Copari's Smart Diary is designed for this kind of structured documentation.

Keep It Secure

Evidence can be sensitive. Keep it secure:

• Use encrypted storage (like Copari's Evidence Locker)
• Be careful if someone might access your device
• Use Safety Mode if you're concerned about device monitoring
• Only share with professionals who need to see it

Using a Diary or Log: Practical Tips

A diary or log is one of the most important tools for documenting evidence. Here's how to use it effectively:

Start with the Basics

Begin each entry with the essential facts:

1. Date and time – Be as specific as possible
2. Location – Where did it happen?
3. Who was present – List everyone who was there
4. What happened – Write a factual description
5. Impact – How did it affect you or children?
6. Action taken – What did you do in response?

Keep Regular Entries

Make entries regularly, even if nothing significant happened. Regular entries:

• Show you're keeping consistent records
• Help establish patterns over time
• Demonstrate that you're not just documenting when things go wrong
• Create a complete picture of what's happening

Review and Update

Periodically review your diary to:

• Identify patterns
• Update entries if you remember additional details
• Prepare summaries for professionals
• Organise evidence for court

Organising Your Evidence

Organised evidence is much easier for solicitors and the court to use. Here are practical ways to organise it:

By Chronological Timeline

A timeline showing incidents in chronological order helps:

• Show patterns and progression over time
• Identify escalation
• See connections between events
• Understand the full context

By Type of Incident

Grouping similar incidents together can help show repeated patterns:

• Communication issues – Messages, calls, emails that escalate conflict
• Threats or intimidation – Direct or indirect threats
• Court order violations – Breaches of court orders or agreements
• Child-related concerns – Incidents affecting children directly

By Severity or Impact

Some incidents are more serious than others. Organising by severity helps:

• Prioritise what needs immediate attention
• Focus on the most important evidence
• Prepare summaries efficiently

Copari's Evidence Locker helps you organise evidence in all these ways.

Creating Evidence Bundles for Court

When you need to share evidence with your solicitor or the court, creating a well-organised bundle is essential:

What to Include

An evidence bundle should include:

• Selected diary entries – Not everything, just relevant entries
• Screenshots of messages – With dates and times visible
• Photos – With dates and times if available
• Emails or letters – Relevant correspondence
• Reports from professionals – Assessments, medical reports, etc.
• Other relevant documents – Court orders, agreements, etc.

How to Organise

Make your bundle easy to navigate:

1. Number pages – Every page should be numbered
2. Create an index – List what's in the bundle and where to find it
3. Group related documents – Put similar documents together
4. Use tabs or dividers – If it's a physical bundle
5. Provide context – Add brief notes explaining relevance

Include a Summary

A summary helps professionals quickly understand your case:

• What the bundle contains – Brief overview of contents
• Time period covered – Date range of the evidence
• Key themes – What patterns or concerns it shows
• Why it's relevant – How it relates to your case

Copari's Evidence Locker and bundle tools are designed to help you create organised bundles efficiently.

Digital Evidence: Screenshots, Emails, and Social Media

Digital evidence – messages, emails, social media posts – can be important in family court. Here's how to handle it:

Taking Screenshots

When screenshotting messages or posts:

• Include the date and time in the screenshot
• Show the full conversation, not just selected parts
• Keep original messages if possible (don't delete them)
• Save screenshots with descriptive file names including dates
• Store them securely (in Copari's Evidence Locker, for example)

Handling Social Media

For social media evidence:

• Screenshot posts, comments, or messages immediately
• Include the full context (who posted, when, what platform)
• Document deleted content quickly – if you see something concerning, screenshot it right away as it may be deleted
• Note the platform and date for each item

Managing Emails

For email evidence:

• Keep emails in their original format
• Use email folders to organise relevant emails
• Forward important emails to your solicitor if needed
• Don't delete emails that might be relevant

What Not to Do: Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are some important things to avoid when documenting evidence:

Don't Edit or Manipulate Evidence

Never edit screenshots, photos, or documents. This can:

• Undermine your credibility
• Have serious legal consequences
• Damage your case significantly

Always keep evidence in its original form.

Don't Share Everything

You don't need to share every single diary entry or message. Work with your solicitor to:

• Decide what's relevant to your case
• Focus on the most important evidence
• Avoid overwhelming professionals with unnecessary information

Don't Record Conversations Illegally

Recording conversations without consent can be illegal. Always:

• Get legal advice before recording conversations
• Understand the laws around recording (they vary by situation)
• Only record when it's legally appropriate

Don't Document in Unsafe Situations

If you're documenting incidents involving someone who might monitor your device:

• Be careful about where and how you document
• Use Safety Mode (like Copari's Safety Mode) to protect your privacy
• Consider using a safe device if possible
• Prioritise your safety

Working with Your Solicitor

Your solicitor is your partner in preparing your case. They can help you:

Strategic Advice

Your solicitor can help you:

• Decide what to document based on your specific situation
• Understand what evidence is most relevant
• Know what's admissible in court
• Prioritise what matters most

Organisation and Preparation

They can help you:

• Organise evidence effectively
• Create evidence bundles for court
• Prepare statements and applications
• Present evidence clearly

Regular Communication

Share evidence with your solicitor regularly – don't wait until right before court. Regular sharing helps:

• Your solicitor advise on what else might be needed
• Identify gaps in your evidence early
• Prepare your case thoroughly
• Avoid last-minute problems

Creating Timelines and Patterns

A timeline is one of the most powerful ways to present evidence. It helps show:

Patterns Over Time

Timelines help professionals see:

• Progression – How incidents have developed over time
• Frequency – How often incidents occur
• Triggers – What seems to trigger incidents (court dates, handovers, etc.)
• Escalation – Whether incidents are getting worse

Using Timeline Tools

Copari's timeline views help you:

• See patterns emerge visually
• Prepare summaries for professionals
• Organise evidence chronologically
• Identify key dates and incidents

Summary Statements: Quick Overviews for Professionals

A summary statement helps professionals quickly understand your case without reading everything:

What to Include

A good summary includes:

• Brief overview – Key concerns in a few sentences
• Key incidents – Most significant incidents with dates
• Patterns identified – What patterns you've noticed
• Impact – Impact on you and children
• Current situation – Where things stand now

When to Use Summaries

Summaries are useful:

• When meeting with your solicitor
• For Cafcass assessments
• When preparing for court
• When briefing new professionals on your case

Remember: Key Principles

Good documentation follows these principles:

• Factual – Focus on what happened, not interpretations or assumptions
• Dated – Always include dates and times
• Organised – Easy to navigate and understand
• Relevant – Focus on what matters for your case
• Secure – Kept safely and privately

Documentation is a tool to help professionals understand what's happening and support your case. Work with your solicitor to make sure you're documenting effectively for your specific situation.

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This guide provides general information about documenting evidence. It does not replace legal advice. Always consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your case. In an emergency, call 999.