Text messages in a custody or family matter

Co-parenting threads are long, emotional and often years deep. The version that helps in a family matter is short, dated and neutral: the exchanges about handovers, schedules, expenses or missed contact, laid out in order, with a cover page that says who the parties are and what period is covered.

ThreadProof builds that document from the screenshots on your phone. Nothing about your children leaves your device: import, redaction, hashing and PDF generation all run in the browser.

Start with one screenshot. It stays on your device and you will see the first page in seconds.

Build my exhibit free

Choose a period and stick to it

Pick the window that matters, for example the three months where handovers broke down, and set that as the date range on the cover page. A tight, dated document reads as considered. Four years of screenshots reads as an argument, and it buries the exchanges you actually want read.

Where a pattern matters more than one incident, one exhibit per topic works well: one for missed handovers, one for expenses, one for schooling. Each gets its own label.

  • Handover and schedule changes
  • Missed or late contact, with your message at the time
  • Agreements about costs, with both messages
  • Anything you were asked to confirm in writing

Redacting children and third parties

Redact children's full names, school names, addresses and any medical detail that is not the point of the exhibit. ThreadProof has a dedicated redaction label for a minor's name, and each box appears in the redaction log with that reason.

Redactions are burned into the image, so the underlying pixels are gone from the exported PDF. Keep your originals somewhere safe, because that step cannot be reversed.

Tone and completeness

Include your own messages, including the ones you would rather not. A thread that shows only one side is easy to challenge, and the challenge lands harder than the content of the message. If a gap exists because messages were deleted or the conversation moved to a call, note that in the declaration.

ThreadProof formats documents. It is not a law firm, gives no legal advice, and makes no representation about how any court will treat a document.

Questions people ask

Can I build one exhibit per topic?
Yes. Create a case per topic; each one gets its own label, cover page and numbering.
How do I handle a co-parenting app rather than SMS?
Screenshot the app and set the platform to Other, then name the app in the case title so the cover page is accurate.
Will the redactions hold up to inspection?
The pixels are removed before the PDF is written, so there is no hidden layer. Each box is listed in the redaction log with its reason.
What does it cost and can I cancel?
Personal is $9 per month or $79 per year. A one-time Case Pass is $24 for 90 days. Professional is $49 per month or $439 per year. Cancel anytime from your Account page in two taps; access continues to the end of the period you paid for. Every charge has a 14-day money-back policy: see the policy at /refunds.

Related guides

ThreadProof formats documents. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

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