Clearhavn is a private case organizer for family-law matters such as custody, support and protective orders. It is built for one parent: you log what happened, attach proof to each event, and keep hearings and deadlines on a calendar. People look for an alternative when they want to compare prices, when they use an Android phone, or when the record they need is already sitting in text messages.
Here is a fair look at what it includes, when it is the better pick, and what else fits. The facts come from the Clearhavn website, its pricing page and its FAQ, checked October 27, 2026. We have not used or tested it. Check again before you buy. Prices and features change.
What Clearhavn includes
- An event log. Each event has a date, a category, a severity and its own attachments: screenshots, photos, audio and documents.
- Case records. Court orders, children, parties and witnesses, tasks, a journal, and issue tags that group repeated events.
- A calendar with reminders for hearings, deadlines and exchanges, by email and push.
- Exports. A PDF chronology and a zipped case packet on Pro, plus a Markdown export and a full data download.
- Free tools. An AI Message Coach for calm replies to hard texts, and an objection practice trainer.
- Two plans. Free for one case with 25 events, 5 attachments, 5 documents and 5 Message Coach sessions, and Pro at $12 a month for unlimited cases, the PDF chronology and ZIP case packet exports, read-only attorney sharing and 50 Message Coach sessions a month.
- Where it runs. A web app and an iPhone app. Its FAQ says Android is on its roadmap.
If you add incidents as they happen and want each one tied to its proof, an event log like this can fit well, and its Pro plan costs less a month than our Full Suite.
When another option may fit better
| Your situation | Why an event log may not be the whole answer |
|---|---|
| Your history is months of texts or WhatsApp | Attaching screenshots event by event takes a long time. A whole export can be numbered and dated in one log instead |
| You want to pay once, not monthly | Some tools sell a single log or download with no subscription |
| You only need a printable log | Free printable logs and a free text-log preview exist with no signup |
| A court order names a co-parenting app | A private organizer does not replace an app a court order names. A clerk, self-help center, or licensed attorney where you live can confirm what your order requires |
Event log or text log?
The two tools start from different raw material. An event log starts from what you write down: a date, what happened, and the proof you attach. It is strongest when you add entries as things happen. A text log starts from what is already on your phone: the whole conversation, exported and numbered, with both sides in order. Many parents keep both kinds of record. Our one-parent documentation apps table lays out the main options side by side.
Questions to ask before you pick any case organizer
- What is my record mostly made of? Incidents you write down, texts already on your phone, or files like orders and school records.
- What does the free plan cover? Count your events and files, and check which exports are free.
- What phone and computer do I use? Check for an app on your device, or a web version that runs in your browser.
- Can I get my records out? Check the export formats, and whether you keep access after you stop paying.
- Does my order name an app? If it does, ask the clerk or a licensed attorney where you live which tool you must use.
None of these questions has one right answer for every family. Write down your answers, then compare tools against them.
When the record is texts you already have
If the history you need is in your phone, export the conversation and number it. A clear log usually has:
- Who: each sender's name or number on every message.
- When: a date and time on every message.
- Both sides, in order, for the stretch you print.
- Page numbers, so a person can find one page quickly.
- The originals kept on your phone.
Courts differ on exhibit format. The clerk, a self-help center, or a licensed attorney where you live can tell you what yours expects. Nothing on this page tells you what to file, or how a judge will see it.
A private option for texts and files
Custody Commander takes an export you already have, from an iPhone, an Android phone, or WhatsApp, and turns it into a chronological, numbered PDF log (MSG-00001 onward) with an index page. It runs in a web browser on any phone or computer. The other parent does not create an account and is not notified.
- Free preview first. The free text message log preview numbers the texts in your browser. Your texts never leave your device.
- A free plan that doesn't expire, with no card.
- One log for $39, no subscription, when you need the full PDF.
- Or the Full Suite, $24.99 a month or $199 a year, which keeps the log with your evidence, timeline, and case files. The Full Suite is free for 7 days and a card is required for that trial.
It is self-help software. It organizes the messages and files you provide. It does not decide what to file or how a court will treat them.
Pick an event log if you add incidents as they happen and want proof tied to each one. Pick a text log when the record is months of messages you already have.
Preview your text log free, no sign-upFree plan, no card · Full Suite free for 7 days
