Guide — Ireland
By the Beacon Parenting team · Updated August 2026
To prove missed handovers or unpaid maintenance in Irish family court, you need a contemporaneous record — kept at the time, not reconstructed later — that is complete, dated, and cannot be edited by either parent. A running log confirmed by both parties as events happen is far stronger than screenshots gathered in the weeks before a hearing.
In Irish family law proceedings — whether a District Court maintenance summons, a Circuit Court custody application, or enforcement of an existing order — the court is trying to establish facts: did the handover happen, was the payment made, what was said? Records kept at the time answer those questions directly. Records assembled weeks or months later invite the other side to challenge the selection, the accuracy, and the timing.
The Courts Service family law pages and Citizens Information both emphasise that the court's primary concern is the best interests of the child — and a clear record of how each parent has behaved day to day is central to that assessment.
Screenshots are the most common mistake we see. They show a fragment — with no proof of what came before or after, no proof that the conversation hasn't been selectively cropped, and no proof that the image hasn't been edited. In a contested case, the other side's solicitor will raise every one of those points.
A complete, unbroken export from a system neither parent can alter — covering the full period, not selected moments — removes all of those challenges.
Maintenance applications in Ireland are typically heard in the District Court under the Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act 1976. To succeed — or to enforce an existing order — you need to demonstrate both the obligation and the failure to meet it.
A running log that records each scheduled payment, whether it arrived, and the amount actually paid — confirmed on both sides — gives the court exactly what it needs. Bank statements help confirm the numbers but cannot show the agreed amount or the agreed dates; the log provides that context.
The Beacon Co-Parenting App keeps every element of the record in one place as you go. Both parents verify their identity with photo ID before using the app. Messages can never be deleted or edited — by either parent or by anyone at Beacon. Handovers are confirmed on-time or late by the receiving parent at the moment of handover. Expenses and maintenance payments are entered and confirmed by both parents.
Every tool is free. When you need the record for court, the Court-Ready Record generates a single tamper-evident PDF of the full history — messages, handovers, expenses, and maintenance — carrying a data-integrity fingerprint your solicitor can hand directly to the court. The base export covers your complete account history (€129). If a court date is adjourned, a Gap Refresh addendum covers the next 6-month window (€19 per 6-month window).
You do not need your co-parent to agree before you start. One parent can begin keeping records on their own — handovers, expenses, incidents, and documents all build a dated record immediately. The co-parent can be invited to join at any time. Courts and mediators in Ireland increasingly recognise structured communication tools as good practice in high-conflict cases.
Irish family courts can consider any reliable evidence that a handover was missed or late — written records, app logs, and witness accounts. The stronger the record, the more weight it carries. A timestamped, unedited log showing that a handover was recorded as late or missed — confirmed by the receiving parent at the time — is far harder to dispute than a retrospective screenshot or your word alone.
Bank statements showing expected payments did not arrive are the starting point. Courts also look favourably on a running log of agreed versus actual payments, kept contemporaneously. If both parents use a co-parenting app where maintenance payments are confirmed by both sides, the log is objective — neither parent can alter it after the fact.
WhatsApp messages can be put before an Irish family court, but they have real weaknesses as evidence. Screenshots can be cropped, selectively chosen, or edited — the other side's solicitor can raise all of these. A complete, unbroken, unedited record from a purpose-built system — where nothing can be deleted by either parent — is significantly harder to challenge.
There is no fixed rule, but solicitors typically recommend covering the period directly relevant to your application — usually at least 12 months. For District Court maintenance applications the court wants to see a consistent pattern, not a single incident. Start keeping records as early as possible; adding them retrospectively is far less convincing.
You can appear without a solicitor (in person) in Irish family law proceedings, but it is strongly advisable to have legal representation for custody and access disputes. What matters here is having the evidence in a format your solicitor can actually use — a single PDF covering the full period is much easier to work with than a folder of screenshots your solicitor has to sort and print.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Whether any particular record is admissible — and the weight it is given — is a matter for the court and your solicitor.
Always consult a qualified family law solicitor about the specific requirements for your court and your application.