Frequently asked questions

What is Custody Captain?

Custody Captain is a custody and time-sharing calendar for two parents. You describe your parenting plan once — which weekdays belong to each parent, how weekends alternate, and how holidays are split — and the app works out every future day for you, instead of asking you to enter days one at a time.

How is this different from a shared Google Calendar?

A shared calendar stores whatever someone typed. Custody Captain stores the rules, so the schedule is correct years ahead, alternating holidays land on the right parent each year, and changes have to be approved and are permanently recorded. It then publishes the result back to Google Calendar for you.

Can I see the custody schedule in the calendar app I already use?

Yes. Custody Captain gives you a private calendar link. Paste it into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook once, and your calendar keeps itself up to date automatically, including reminders the day before and the morning of each handoff.

How do alternating holidays work?

A holiday is stored as a rule, not as a date. You say which holiday it is (a fixed date like December 25, or a moving one like the fourth Thursday of November), optionally how many days before and after it counts, and which parent had it in a starting year. The app alternates from there, and you can preview several years to confirm it reads correctly before relying on it.

What happens when we agree to a one-off swap?

You propose an override for that date or date range. Until the other parent approves it, it shows as pending and does not change the live schedule, the calendar link, or printouts. Once approved, it takes priority over both the holiday rules and the normal weekly pattern.

Does it keep a record I could show a mediator or a court?

Yes. Every change to the schedule, a holiday rule, an override, a handoff detail, or a day note is written to a permanent record with who made it, when, and the full before-and-after state. Nothing in the app can edit or delete those entries, including you, which is what makes the record worth anything.

Can I share the calendar with a grandparent or babysitter?

Yes. You can create a view-only link that needs no login and shows the calendar including handoff details. You can revoke any link at any time, and revoking one does not affect the others.

Can I put the school or sports calendar on top of it?

Yes. You can add another calendar either by pasting its public link, which then refreshes on its own, or by uploading a calendar file once. Those events show as separate chips on the day and never change who has the kids.

Can I print the calendar or save a PDF?

Yes. Choose a starting month and a range of one month, six months, or a full year. Each month prints on its own page with the same colors, labels, and handoff details you see on screen, and your browser's print dialog can save it as a PDF.

Does it track overnights and the percentage split?

Yes. Pick any date range and you get overnight counts per parent, the percentage split, and a spreadsheet export.

Can an AI assistant manage the schedule for me?

Yes. Custody Captain exposes a secure assistant connection so a tool like Claude can read the schedule and propose changes conversationally. An assistant can only propose — approval still happens in the app — and every action it takes is recorded in the change history as coming from the assistant.

What does it cost?

Ten dollars a month, or ninety-six dollars a year, for the whole household rather than per parent. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial and you are not charged until the trial ends. Accurate as of September 2026.

Is Custody Captain legal advice?

No. It is a scheduling tool. Always follow your own parenting plan or court order, and talk to a lawyer about anything binding.

More reading in the co-parenting guides, or see how this compares with other tools.