You and your spouse just got divorced. That's real news, you and almost one-third of the country. So what's next? Who gets the house, the car, the Chihuahua and not to mention the kids? It's painful but child custody often follows divorce or marriage annulment cases. But you and your ex can't just simply walk away from each other, like any legal process, you'll have to fill up a lot of paperwork including child custody forms.

So you need to decide how to split time with the kids. You need to fill up child custody forms provided by the courts. These forms can vary in content or form from state to state; however, the general content is the same such as the type of custody to be requested. The child custody forms have to be accompanied by affidavits of income and expenses. To file them correctly, please follow the following.

• Get the proper forms - Every state has its own version of child custody laws as well as the forms that are needed. Local family courts provide these forms and can also be downloaded from their respective websites if available. You need to file your child custody case in what you consider your home state.
• Understand the requested content - Like a contract, understand the document first before signing up for anything that might get you in trouble. If anything is not clear, you need a friend who understands the process or better yet, a lawyer.
• Include the proper accompanying documents - like income statements, tax forms. These documents indicate your stability to handle child custody. You need to fill these up accurately like any other legal document or face litigation and loss of custody in the future.
• Discuss with your ex thoroughly the exact nature of the custody. What do you guys want? Who decides where the kids go to school or whatever is best for them (legal custody)? Who gets to keep them during weekends or every other week (joint physical custody)? You do that and then submit the proper forms. This way, no one gets the short end of the deal or you get whatever end of the deal you want. The alternative is to go to court. Also have your respective lawyers look on what you agreed upon.
• Be accurate in what you enter in the child custody forms and accompanying documents. Anything contrary to what you state there can and will be used against you in court. If your former spouse changes his or her mind and you're not getting 30000 dollars a year like you said, it can be a basis for your ex to pull the plug on your visitation rights.
• Bottom line, be accurate, be knowledgeable and do not deviate from what is in the child custody forms.

Don't risk the pain of losing custody of your child or getting minimal visitation rights.