As if parenting isn’t hard enough already, trying to co-parent after a divorce has to be one of the hardest challenges you can tackle. (The scheduling coordination alone can feel like an impossible task!) But in this day and age, while there are loads of things to take into account, and lots of commitments to navigate, there is also a lot of help out there to make the process a little less overwhelming. In addition to helpful parenting books, websites and blogs full of good ideas, there are also a wealth of apps designed to help divorced folks co-parent their kids in a more streamlined and less stressful way. And we’d like to share a few of the more well-loved ones with our readers.
OurFamilyWizard:
OurFamilyWizard is the co-parenting app recommended to divorcing parents by the Michigan family courts. It provides a wide range of services, including a trackable way for parents to communicate, log their expenses, and keep tabs on their child’s behaviors and progress.
Features and highlights:
- Family calendar
- Message board (which differs from direct messaging because it’s cloud based and messages can’t be deleted or altered after they’re sent)
- Expense log to help keep track of kid-related finances
- Info bank where parents can track medical info like vaccinations, doctors visits and insurance information
- Journal for tracking behaviors, events, and daily notes
- Available for PC and mobile
Costs:
A 1 year subscription costs $119.97 and a 2 year subscription costs $209.97. However, pared down packages are available for less without certain features.
2Houses:
2Houses is a website designed to offer a wide range of services to make the post-divorce parenting process easier. With everything from expense management to synced calendars, it streamlines the co-parenting process in many helpful ways.
Features and highlights:
- Family calendar
- Document storage for medical, educational and financial information
- Photo album
- An online journal where parents can make notes about kids activities and well being
- Messaging for easy communication between parents
- Is available in multiple languages, and can be configured to notify parents of updates in several different ways (email or phone)
Costs:
2Houses costs $12.50 per month for the entire family (which is charged as $149.99 annually)
Co-parenting after a divorce doesn’t need to be a total headache!
There are many different apps available to divorced parents, designed exclusively to streamline co-parenting. Some are free, and some require a monthly payment, depending on the features they offer and how you choose to use them. For people whose post divorce budget doesn’t expand to include another expense, here are some free options if you’re alright with a more barebones approach. For example, you could try:
- Cozi (this app offers a free version which has some great features, but the app can also be upgraded to a premium version for a small cost)
- Talkingparents (the website is free to use, however the mobile app requires a monthly payment of $5.99 with add-ons available)
- The Google Calendar (basic, free, and shareable with multiple others)
Need help with your custody agreement or parenting time schedule?
Join us next time for a few more apps that could make a huge difference to your post-divorce parenting experience. But until then, if you need help figuring out your custody agreement, modifying your parenting time arrangement, or trying to get visitation, call us at 866 766 5245. Our experienced and hard working family law attorneys here at The Kronzek Firm can help you with every aspect of your divorce.