FAQ & troubleshooting

Getting started#

Does the other parent have to sign up?#

No. Custody Commander is for you. Nobody else needs an account unless you choose to share something with them.

Do I need a lawyer to use it?#

No — it's built for people representing themselves and for people who have a lawyer but do their own legwork. If you do have an attorney, you can share your case with them. The software doesn't give legal advice; for that, talk to a licensed attorney where you live.

I didn't get the verification email.#

Check spam and promotions folders, then use Resend email on the verification page. Links work once and expire after 24 hours. If it still doesn't arrive, email support@firmbinder.com.

Where are Evidence and Documents? They're not in the sidebar.#

They live inside each court case. Open Cases, choose a court case, and use the Evidence, Documents, Binders, and Preparation tabs. See How the app is organized.

I have more than one court case. Do I need more than one account?#

No. Add each court file as a court case inside your one case. Evidence can be linked to several court cases at once. See Cases & court cases.

Evidence and uploads#

My upload failed.#

• Each file can be up to 25 MB, and each upload up to 30 files and 32 MB in total. Upload big folders in smaller batches.
• On the free plan, each case holds up to 10 evidence items.
• If you're out of storage, the message will show your usage. See Storage.

Text extraction failed on a photo.#

Extraction works on JPEG, PNG, GIF, and WebP images and on PDFs. iPhone HEIC photos, TIFF, BMP, and AVIF can't be extracted yet — take a screenshot of the image or export it as JPEG, and upload that.

My exhibit PDF won't generate.#

Exhibit PDFs accept images and PDFs only. Remove audio, video, and Word files in the Court-ready PDF preview, or convert them to PDF. The one-click export on Overview includes everything, so use the preview instead if your case has recordings. See Court-ready PDF.

Search can't find something I know is there.#

Evidence search currently matches capitalization exactly — try the word with different capitalization, or search part of the filename. Tags aren't searched; filter by issue instead.

What does the SHA-256 fingerprint prove?#

That a file is identical to the one you uploaded, byte for byte, since the time it was recorded. It doesn't prove who made the file or what it shows. Whether and how evidence is used is up to your court's rules.

Messages#

All my messages show as "received".#

Use Set my name (fix direction) and enter your name exactly as it appears in the export. For WhatsApp and Facebook, fill in Your name before importing.

WhatsApp dates look wrong.#

WhatsApp exports are read with month/day dates. If your phone shows dates day-first, days 1–12 may be swapped. Check a few known messages and let us know through support.

The times in my message log are off by several hours.#

Message logs show times in UTC. Note the difference from your local time on any copy you share.

I imported the same conversation twice.#

Use Undo last import right away if you can; otherwise delete the duplicate conversation. Importing the same file twice creates duplicates.

Can I import screenshots of texts?#

Not into Messages — upload them to Evidence and use text extraction, which reads message screenshots line by line.

AI#

Can AI make mistakes?#

Yes. Every AI result is a draft for you to check against the original. Extracted text, transcripts, and drafts are kept separate from what you've confirmed, so it's always clear what the software produced and what you verified.

Why did the AI refuse my request?#

The software won't choose what you should file or argue, assess your chances, or predict a ruling. Rephrase the request around organizing facts or drafting a position you've chosen — for example, "Draft a declaration describing the missed exchanges in March" rather than "What should I file about the missed exchanges?". Declined requests don't use an AI operation.

I'm out of AI operations.#

Buy a credit pack or upgrade from My account → AI usage or Plans. Monthly allowances reset on the 1st. Everything that isn't AI keeps working. See Plans, trial & AI operations.

It says "You're doing that too fast."#

AI is limited to 20 operations per 10 minutes. Wait a few minutes and try again.

Mediation says the feature requires a plan, but I'm on the trial.#

Mediation Coach isn't part of the trial. It's included with the Mediation Coach plan and Full Suite.

Documents#

Are the templates official court forms?#

No. They're jurisdiction-neutral starting points. Your court may require its own forms; check your court's website or self-help center.

Why can't I export my court document?#

Court documents go through Review, sign & export. Common blockers: [bracketed placeholders] still in the text, unreviewed statements or citations, a signature invalidated by later edits, or court-document features not yet being available for your state. See Review, sign & export.

Can I get an older version of a document back?#

Yes — Show version history → Restore this version. See Version history.

Sharing and account#

My attorney can't see what I shared.#

They must sign in with the exact email you invited, and the invitation must be accepted within 14 days. Check Sharing → People with access: if it says Pending, resend the invite. Also check that the category or item is actually shared with them.

I can't see something a collaborator added to my case.#

Records a collaborator adds stay private to them until they share them. Ask them to share it with you.

What happens to my records if I stop paying?#

Nothing is deleted. You move to the free plan: new uploads are limited and exports get a DRAFT watermark, but everything stays and can still be exported.

Is there a quick way to leave this website?#

Press Esc twice and this site switches to weather.com. It doesn't erase your browser history. See Privacy, safety & security.

Still stuck?#

Contact support — we respond within 5 business days.