Today there is more and more software being developed for family law. There are software programs that aid with divorce, adoption, child custody etc. One particular type of child custody software are programs that allow the user to create a child custody agreement. This is beneficial to attorneys because it can save them countless hours of time figuring out schedules and counting days and it gives them a nice calendar to present to their client. And, this program also helps divorced parents because they can make their own child custody agreements and save money in legal fees. Here are some of the features and benefits that these programs have.

The most basic thing that a custody program should do is allow you to easily create a nice calendar with your visitation schedule. User interface is important for this. Some programs are very difficult to figure out and will actually bring you more hassle then help. It should be very easy to simply click on a basic schedule that you want and have that applied to a year. Then you should easily be able to add holidays, special events, recurring events that change the schedule, and vacation time. The easiest type of program to work with is one that lets you click on the day of the calendar where you want the other parent to have custody. This type of program actually saves you time.

Certain cases need certain features in their software. Some software lets you put time toward a third party--like daycare, school, or a grandparent. If this is a component that's important to you, find a program that lets you do it.

You can also find programs that allow you to create your entire agreement along with a calendar. With these you can add provisions and stipulations that print out with the calendar. That is nice for parents to see and think about, and it can also help the attorneys save time.

One very helpful feature that a custody program can do is calculate time-share and overnight percentages. These are the numbers that are used when determining child support--and they are also very difficult to figure out. No attorney or staff has the time to count the hours and days in a parenting plan to figure out this number. The computer can automatically keep track while you create the schedule. Parents also want this number because they want to make sure the child support is being calculated correctly. Also, it's handy to see the percentages because it gives the parents a good idea of how much time they have with the children.

Because there are so many programs available for creating parenting plans, you should be able to find one that fits your needs. Look around before you purchase one. It's always a good idea to give the software a trial run--and any program worth buying will let you have a free trial. Download a few until you find one that can help your family law case.