FAQ and troubleshooting

Quick answers to the questions we hear most. If yours isn't here, the in-app Support page is always available.

Counting and statistics

Why does my 2-night weekend show 2 nights, not 3 days? CustodyProof counts custody by overnights, the way family courts commonly do. Friday after school to Sunday evening = Friday night + Saturday night = 2 nights. The return day isn't a night. This is intentional — see How custody time is counted.

My count looks one short. Same reason: a stay's end date is the morning it ends, so it isn't counted. Jan 1–11 = 10 nights.

Why don't the percentages add up to 100%? CustodyProof only counts what you record. Days with nothing logged aren't automatically assigned to the other parent — they're just not your custody nights.

I logged the night for both kids — why isn't it counted twice? Calendar nights are unique: one night with both children = 1 night of custody time. Per-child detail lives in the By Child statistics and in the clearly-labeled child-night totals on reports.

Dashboard and Statistics show different numbers. They use the same engine and should always match for the same period. Refresh the page; if they still differ, contact Support with both numbers and the period you were viewing.

Why didn't my visit change my percentage? Timed visits never count toward overnight percentages — they're tracked separately as a visit count and hours. That's by design, so your overnight numbers stay clean.

Calendar and schedules

I see duplicate entries on my calendar. Open Schedules and check the Data check card — it finds exact duplicates and offers "Remove duplicates (keep one of each)." Duplicates don't affect your percentages, but they clutter the calendar and can inflate child-night details in reports. See Keeping your schedule accurate.

Why do some events look lighter than others? Lighter, outlined events are upcoming (planned but not yet happened); solid events have happened. Violations are always solid red. There's a legend under the calendar grid.

Will editing or deleting my schedule erase my history? No. Editing a schedule refreshes upcoming events only; pausing or deleting a schedule removes upcoming events only. Past events always stay on your calendar as records.

The schedule builder won't let me save. The reason is always listed above the save button. Common causes: an alternating (every-2-weeks) schedule needs you to pick which real week matched "Week 1"; a date question from your description still needs an answer (unknown dates are never guessed); or no child is selected — and if there are no children on your account yet, use the inline Add your child first link, then come back to finish the schedule.

What do the messages mean when building my schedule fails? They tell you what actually went wrong. "Still activating" — your subscription is settling in (common right after signup): wait a moment and try again. "Too many requests" — a brief limit: wait a little and retry. "Temporarily unavailable" — a service hiccup: try again in a few minutes. Only a message saying we couldn't understand your description or agreement means the text itself needs more detail. And if the reading animation is taking too long, it has a Cancel button.

My schedule stopped filling in future dates. Check whether the schedule is Paused on the Schedules page — resume it and the upcoming events come back. Active ongoing schedules extend themselves 12 months ahead automatically.

Uploads and files

My file won't upload. Check the size and type. Evidence files and receipts: 25 MB max each — photos (including iPhone HEIC), videos, audio, PDFs, and common documents are accepted; SVG is not. Vero photos: up to 6 images, 15 MB each. Agreement uploads on Schedules: PDF, DOCX, DOC, ODT, or RTF up to 10 MB. Attachments on a calendar event: JPG, PNG, GIF, HEIC, or PDF up to 25 MB each, several at a time. A file over the limit is named on screen the moment you pick it, so you can swap it for a smaller one.

My evidence ZIP is taking a while. Large archives build in the background — watch the Exports tray at the bottom-right and keep the tab open (refreshing drops in-progress exports). Typical waits are a few minutes for very large vaults. If it fails, try again; the app can also fall back to a direct download.

"Exports are busy." Heavy exports run one at a time, and very rapid back-to-back exporting is briefly throttled. Wait a minute and try again — it always clears.

The in-app assistant and Vero

What's the question-mark (?) button at the top? That's Ask Custody Proof — a built-in assistant included with every plan. Ask it anything about using the app and it answers with a link straight to the right screen. It knows your setup state (whether you've added children, set up a schedule, how many records you have) but never the content of your notes or evidence. It can't create records for you — that's Vero, below — and it never gives legal advice. Assistant conversations use the same monthly AI allowance as other AI features, and they aren't stored: closing the panel clears them.

"Why can't I use Vero?" Vero requires the Case Builder plan — the standard plan doesn't include her. Upgrading unlocks her immediately. See Plans and billing.

I upgraded but Vero is still locked. Refresh the page or revisit the Vero page — it re-syncs your subscription. If it persists after a couple of minutes, contact support.

Vero says my entry needs a date. By design — Vero never guesses dates. Set the date on the draft card, then save. See Vero, your AI assistant.

"Economy mode" notice on the schedule assistant or Vero. Your full-quality AI allowance for the month is used up, so a lighter model is doing the work — everything still works, just give the preview a closer look. Settings → AI usage shows the meter and offers a one-time reset back to full quality.

"AI limit reached." Both this month's allowances are used up; they reset on the 1st. The meter and the one-time reset are in Settings → AI usage. Manual entry keeps working in the meantime.

Billing and account

When am I charged? Immediately at checkout — new accounts and resubscribers alike. You can cancel anytime from Settings and keep access through the period you paid for.

I don't recognize a charge on my statement. Charges appear as CUSTODYPROOF.COM. Check the amount against the plan prices, and consider whether someone else in your household started the subscription under a different email. Email support@custodyproof.com before disputing it with your bank — most cases are resolved within one business day. See Understanding charges from Custody Proof.

How do I cancel? Settings → Subscription → Manage Subscription → Cancel plan, then confirm. You keep access through the period you paid for, and your data is never deleted. Full steps in How to cancel, and our refund policy.

I paid but it still asks me to subscribe. Right after checkout, activation can take a minute or two — the confirmation screen retries on its own, and if you see "Your payment went through," you can press Try again or simply wait: your access unlocks automatically once activation completes. You're never charged twice — if your subscription is already active, checkout sends you into the app instead of charging again. If it still hasn't resolved after a few minutes, email support.

The payment-failed banner won't go away. It clears automatically once a card retry succeeds. Fastest fix: Update payment method via the banner, then refresh. Your access continues during the retry grace period.

What if I subscribed and changed my mind? If it's within 30 days of your first charge, refund yourself instantly from Settings → Subscription → Request a refund (or email support@custodyproof.com with your account email and the charge date). That 30-day guarantee is the only refund we offer — after it, or for renewals, upgrades, and resubscriptions, the answer is to cancel: you keep access through the period you paid for, nothing renews, and all your data stays intact if you come back. See How to cancel, and our refund policy.

Can the other parent see my records? Never. CustodyProof is a one-parent product: no sharing, no shared calendar, no notifications to anyone. See Your account, data, and privacy.

My password reset email didn't arrive. Check spam, confirm the address matches your account, and resend from the login page. Still missing? Contact support.

Is there an iPhone/Android app? It's a web app — it works in any mobile browser, and you can add it to your home screen for an app-like experience.

Using your records

Can I use CustodyProof reports in court? The reports are designed to be clear and court-friendly — but whether and how records are used in court varies by jurisdiction and case. That's a question for your attorney. CustodyProof is a documentation tool and doesn't provide legal advice.

Something looks different from this help center. Check What's New in the navigation — features improve regularly, and recent changes are announced there.

Still stuck?

Open the in-app Support page (it stays available even if your subscription has lapsed) or email support@custodyproof.com. Include what you were doing, the exact message on screen, and — for billing — the approximate date of the charge.