As a parent facing divorce, you may wonder how you and your spouse will manage to co-parent in an amicable way after the divorce. The good news is that more help for parents exists now than ever before and technology could be a key contribution. Tech companies have offered several applications over the past few years designed to help parents communicate, coordinate schedules and share important information. Some of the options are simply to make your life easier. Others store and log information for court oversight and use as evidence in a trial. If you need assistance working with your co-parent in Indiana, one of these parenting apps might help.
What apps are out there?
Several sites have gained traction over the years across the country. Attorneys and judges have recommended different options, and some courts now require their use for contentious cases. A few well-known co-parenting apps include:
- Our Family Wizard: Known as OFW, this app has been around since 2001 and courts in all 50 states have required couples to use it. You can use this app on many platforms, but most people use it on their phone. It will track all messages you send to your co-parent, request and update schedule changes and can even store important documents and information about the children. The court and your attorney can all review the information if given permission or it is contemplated in the Court Order. An additional and unique feature is a “tone-meter” that will give your message an emotional check before you send it. Many court-ordered parenting coordinators in Indiana use this app.
- 2Houses: Similar to OFW, this app allows you to send messages, upload photos and manage your schedules. You can also manage expenses between parents. It includes a journaling feature where you can leave notes, documents and photos. Although attorneys and mediators can use this app, it does not seem to have the same court oversight function of OFW.
These are just a few examples of apps that exist to help co-parents communicate and coordinate more efficiently. An online search should provide you with more information on the possible tools that you could use to help co-parent as often texting and email are not the best way.
Finding the right approach for you
No matter where you and your ex are on the communication spectrum, you can likely find an app to help you. Even amicable co-parents find these apps useful to keep all their information in a central location. For those co-parents who have serious trouble communicating, one of these apps could be a true turning point.
