Free · Start here
Before you file: 5 documents every dad needs
A 12-page checklist from a dad who's been there. What to gather, why it matters, and what to do next — before you tell your spouse, before you talk to a lawyer.
No spam. Unsubscribe with one click. We'll also send a short 3-email welcome.
For general educational use only · Not legal, financial, tax, or mental-health advice · Consult a licensed professional in your jurisdiction.
The Imprint
What Steady Dad Press publishes
The book plus twelve core field manuals, organized by where you are in the process. Built to get you organized, informed, and prepared — not to replace your attorney.
Featured · The complete collection
The Steady Dad Complete Vault
The book plus all twelve core field manuals — the complete Steady Dad Press library. Includes the Bonus Shelf, where future drops and add-ons land for Complete Vault owners.
Everything Steady Dad Press has published, in one purchase.
The Pre-Filing Document Vault
A 60+ item checklist of every document to gather before divorce papers are filed. Stop scrambling. Start prepared.
Attorney Interview Scorecard
30+ questions plus a scoring grid to vet divorce attorneys before you hire. Don't waste $5K finding out they're wrong.
Divorce Financial Reset Workbook
Worksheets for your divorce budget, debt map, and asset inventory. Get clear on the numbers before negotiation starts.
50 BIFF Scripts for the Toxic Ex
50 pre-written BIFF message templates for high-conflict co-parenting. Brief. Informative. Friendly. Firm.
Father's Custody Case Builder
Documentation framework for involved dads. Parenting time logs, involvement records, and case-building worksheets.
Court Day Preparation Kit
What to wear, bring, and how to behave in family court. A courtroom checklist. Don't walk in unprepared.
The Journal
Read before you file.
Longer-form articles written the way a friend who's been through this would explain it — no billable hours, no fluff. Start here.
Custody · 14 min read
How to Prepare for a Custody Hearing: What Dads Actually Do the Week Before
Your custody hearing is not the day you win or lose your case. It is the day you present the case you have already built. Here is the field-manual version of the two weeks before you walk into the courtroom.
Read →
Pre-filing · 12 min read
First Steps After Being Served: What Dads Do in the First 72 Hours
The papers hit and the house tilts. What you do in the first three days will shape the next two years. Here is the field-manual version of the first 72 hours after being served.
Read →
Pre-filing · 9 min read
What to Do Before You File for Divorce — A Dad's Checklist
If you're thinking about filing, the next 30 days matter more than the next 30 weeks. Here is the pre-filing checklist every dad wishes someone had handed him.
Read →
Attorneys · 10 min read
How to Interview a Divorce Attorney: 12 Questions Dads Forget to Ask
Most dads hire the first attorney who returns their call. Here are the twelve interview questions that will tell you, in 45 minutes, whether the person across the desk is the right fit.
Read →
Custody · 11 min read
What Judges Actually Look For in a Custody Case
Custody isn't decided on who loves the kids more. It's decided on a short list of factors judges have been weighing for decades. Here's the list — and how to show up with evidence on every one.
Read →
High-conflict communication · 10 min read
BIFF Method: How to Respond to a High-Conflict Ex Without Making It Worse
Most of what your ex sends doesn't need a response. The 20% that does needs the same response: brief, informative, friendly, firm. Here is the BIFF method, with worked examples.
Read →
“Most men walk into a divorce already behind — not because they're weak, but because nobody handed them the manual. So we wrote it. Twelve of them.”
— Steady Dad Press
Before you buy anything
Take this one for free.
5 Documents Every Dad Needs Before Filing. A free one-page checklist to get you started. No payment, no catch — just enter your email.