Proving a late or cancelled custody exchange
The essentials
- For each late pickup, cancellation or missed exchange, note: the date, the scheduledtime, the actual time (or the fact that there was no exchange), and the means of communication used, if there was one.
- A text saying "I'll be late", a cancellation email, a dated screenshot: every gap gains from being linked to its exhibit.
- One late pickup on its own says nothing.
In short, from this page. Every statement is sourced below.
Document your family case, free. Late arrivals, custody exchanges, communications, incidents: write down the facts as they happen, add your dated exhibits, and get a clear timeline · exactly what a court can follow.
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In Quebec, custody time directly affects child support. Documenting the gaps between the scheduled arrangement and what actually happened is therefore not a whim: it is information that counts. Here is how to do it simply and without interpretation.
Recording the gap as facts
For each late pickup, cancellation or missed exchange, note: the date, the scheduledtime, the actual time (or the fact that there was no exchange), and the means of communication used, if there was one. Nothing else. No "because", no assumed motive.
Attaching evidence
A text saying "I'll be late", a cancellation email, a dated screenshot: every gap gains from being linked to its exhibit. For screenshots, two simple rules: show the contact card (to link "Kitten" to a real person) and keep the whole conversation, not three chosen messages.
The picture over time
One late pickup on its own says nothing. A dated list covering months, with a percentage of actual time compared with scheduled time, tells a trend, without you having to conclude anything. The numbers speak for themselves.
In the app: enter your scheduled arrangement, and the "Gaps" view works out the dated list and the actual-versus-scheduled percentage on its own. It is arithmetic on your data, never a conclusion. Open the application.
Official sources (consulted July 18, 2026)
Every statement in this guide is backed by an official source. How we verify and correct.
- Ministère de la Justice du Québec, information on child support (the Quebec model takes custody time into account)
- Preuve en main, Integrity methodology
Found an error in this guide? Report it: corrected within 72 hours, and the correction log is public.
Reminder: this is general information; it is not information for anyone in particular. For advice on your situation: legal aid (eligibility based on income), a community justice centre, Juripop, or the Barreau referral service.