Door 3 · Custody as a father

Custody preparation, keyed to your state.

Answer in order. The first question that decides everything is not about time — it is whether parentage is legally established. Then get your Preparation Map: your state's factors in plain words, labeled statutory or case law, your presumption status, and a count of the documentation you already have.

The decoder — answer in order

1 · State 2 · Were you married to the child's mother? 3 · Paternity: did you sign a voluntary acknowledgment (VAP / AOP / VDOP)? 4 · Has a court adjudicated parentage (an order naming you the legal father)? 5 · Order status (required) 6 · Current split of overnights 7 · Your goal

8 · Safety flags

If there is violence, a protective order, or a child's safety at risk, that comes before preparation — contact local emergency services and a family-law attorney in your state. This decoder does not handle emergencies.

Any safety concern right now?

Documentation you already have (counted, nothing more) A dated daily parenting log An exchange / overnight calendar Saved written communication records School and medical records

See also: the presumption map — where equal time is the statutory starting point, and where it is not.

Custody preparation, keyed to your state.

The decoder — answer in order

Custody Documentation Kit — $49, one-time