It seems like there’s an app for everything these days, and co-parenting is no different. As most parents know, parenting can be very challenging. Those challenges are usually magnified when a relationship falls apart and two parents decide to part ways. However, even though a relationship is over, parents remain connected by children. Two parents may not be able to stand the sight of one another, but they still need to work together and communicate about things that affect the children, such as soccer games, schedule changes, health issues, and, of course, financial matters.
To help with these issues, there are several companies that have created different apps to help divorced or separated parents co-parent.
Some examples include:
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- Our Family Wizard (https://www.ourfamilywizard.com)
- Coparently (http://coparently.com)
- 2-Houses (https://www.2houses.com/en)
- AppClose (https://appclose.com)
- Custody Junction (http://www.custodyjunction.com)
- Kidganizer (http://kidganizer.com)
- Talking Parents (https://www.talkingparents.com)
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These apps are all different, but some of the features are similar. For example, the app may include a folder where both parents can upload important documents such as medical bills, insurance information, report cards, etc. Similarly, most apps include a calendar, where both parents can enter timesharing schedules, upcoming events, and extracurricular activities. Furthermore, these apps provide a forum for parents to communicate with each other while also tracking those communications for possible future use.
These apps can help parents in various ways. First, these apps create accountability between the parents because all the information pertaining to the children will be stored in one place. Second, this eliminates the possibility of one parent claiming that the other party did not share information or documents. These apps may also promote more effective communication between parents since both parents know the communications are tracked and may be used in pending or subsequent litigation.
There has been a recent trend towards incorporating the use of co-parenting apps in settlement agreements. If these apps sound like something that could be of benefit to your situation, I suggest you speak with your lawyer and/or the other parent.
