Our approved source list
Custody is legal-adjacent territory. Parents make real decisions based on what they read here — which schedule to propose, what their state actually requires, whether 50/50 is realistic for their situation. That means the bar for sourcing is higher than a typical parenting site.
Every factual claim on this site links to at least one source from this whitelist:
- State bar association websites (e.g., calbar.ca.gov family law resources)
- State court self-help websites (e.g., courts.ca.gov, nycourts.gov)
- AAML — American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- NACC — National Association of Counsel for Children
- Justia — legal information and case law
- U.S. Department of Labor — for FMLA and workplace accommodation intersection with custody
- A Better Balance — work-family legal resources
- Peer-reviewed family law and child development research
Mommy blogs, sponsored legal content, and secondhand summaries are not sources. We go to the original statute or publication. If a claim can't be traced to one of the organizations above, it stays out — even when the information sounds right, even when "everyone knows" it.
How an article gets made
Articles don't start as drafts. They start as questions — usually the kind divorced parents are searching for at midnight before a mediation session.
- Topic selection.We look at what divorced and separated parents are actively searching for, what top-ranking results cover, and — more importantly — what they miss. A topic gets greenlit when there's a genuine information gap we can fill with sourced material.
- Research.We read the full statute or court publication, not an abstract or a blog post summarizing it. For state-specific pieces, that means pulling the actual custody statute from that state's legislature website, then cross-checking it against the state bar association's family law resources and the state court's self-help pages. When we were writing about modification standards, for example, we found that several widely cited blog posts had the "substantial change in circumstances" threshold wrong for two states — the statutes said something narrower than what was being repeated. We used the statutes.
- Drafting.Articles target an 8th-grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid). Answer-first structure — if you're reading on a phone between sessions, you should find the answer in the first sentence of the relevant section, not buried in paragraph four.
- Citation placement.Every factual claim links directly to its source. Minimum 3 authoritative citations per article, placed inline next to the claim they support — not grouped at the bottom where you'd have to scroll to verify.
- Review. A separate pass checks legal accuracy, readability, and completeness: Does this match current state statutes? Would a parent going through their first custody proceeding understand this without prior legal context?
- Publish + monitoring. Published articles show a publish date and a last-updated date. When state statutes change or the AAML releases new guidance, we update every affected article. Nothing here stays static indefinitely.
Readability standards
Our readers are stressed — going through one of the hardest transitions of their lives, often reading on a phone between work meetings or after the kids are asleep. Content decisions flow from that reality.
- 8th-grade reading level (Flesch-Kincaid) — no legal jargon without definition
- Answer-first paragraphs — the main point comes before the explanation
- Tables for schedules, not paragraphs of days and times
- FAQ sections for common follow-up questions
- Active voice, second person ("you" not "one should")
When an article requires legal terminology — parenting time, legal custody vs. physical custody, best interests standard — we define it the first time it appears. We don't dumb things down. We make them accessible. There's a difference.
What you won't find here
Legal advice.This site is educational and informational. We present what state statutes and court guidelines say — we don't tell you what to do with that for your specific case. Always consult a family law attorney for decisions about your situation.
Sponsored content or paid placements.No lawyer, mediator, or platform pays for mention in our articles. When we name a product (OurFamilyWizard, TalkingParents), it's because it's relevant to the topic — not because someone paid us.
Fear-based framing.Custody is stressful enough. We present information calmly. Where something is time-sensitive — filing deadlines, modification windows — we explain why, without the alarm.
Fake credentials.We are researchers and writers, not attorneys or mediators. That distinction matters, and you'll never see us blur it. No stock photos of lawyers. No invented "legal review" processes. When we say "editorial team," that's exactly what it is.
Conflict of interest disclosure
Custody Schedules is privately funded. Revenue comes from the subscription app — not from ads, affiliate links, or sponsored articles. No lawyer, mediator, or custody platform has editorial influence here.
If that ever changes — affiliate links, sponsored content, brand partnerships — it will be disclosed on the affected page and noted here. As of today: zero conflicts.
Corrections and updates
We take errors seriously. If you find an outdated statute, a broken citation, a factual error, or something that reads misleadingly — tell us. Every report gets reviewed within 48 hours.
- Minor corrections(broken links, typos, date errors): fixed and the "last updated" date advances.
- Factual corrections (a statute changed, a citation was wrong): updated with a visible note explaining what changed and why.
- Guideline updates (new state statutes, AAML guidance, court rule changes): all affected articles reviewed and updated within one week.
Report errors to hello@custodyschedules.com with the page URL and what looks wrong. We respond within 2 business days.