Co-parenting applications are becoming increasingly popular in divorce or family law matters where there are children. In cases where these matters are not resolved amicably, or where there are continued disagreements, more courts are ordering parties to use a co-parenting application for communications, calendaring, and the payment of expenses involving the children. Some parties even agree to use these apps without a court order.

There are many parenting applications out there, but two of the most common ones are Our Family Wizard and Talking Parents. The features and layout are a little different, but they essentially work the same. In addition to Our Family Wizard and Talking Parents, there are other options to consider from 2 Houses, Co Parently, CoParenter, and others.

What Are The Potential Advantages of Co-Parenting Applications?

The potential advantages of co-parenting applications are far in number:

1.) It generally ensures that all communication between parents is in one place. It also allows for the preservation of that communication if the matter ends up back in court. Using a co-parenting application can be helpful because, otherwise, communication could be flying in by text, email, phone, or elsewhere. It is much easier when a party can access all the communication in one place.

2.) When parties know that their communication is preserved, many are more restrained in what they send. While it is far too easy for somebody to send a hostile text message, many pause before doing that in a co-parenting application where the communication is there for the court to see. Talking Parents even helps assess the tone of a message before a party hits send.

3.) Co-parenting applications can be great in terms of the payments of expenses for the children. Without a co-parenting application, there can often be disputes about whether somebody sent a check or gave another party cash. When the payments are all within the application, there is a record of what was paid and submitted to the other party.

4.) The calendar features are helpful in these applications. If both parties put on the calendar all the events and appointments involving the kids, everybody can be on the same page about what is taking place on a daily or weekly basis.

5.) If phone calls or virtual conferences need to occur, many of these applications now allow for this to take place within the app. On top of that, these phone calls and virtual conversations are often recorded to ensure they are preserved.

What Are The Potential Disadvantages of Co-Parenting Applications?

The potential disadvantages of co-parenting applications are as follows:

1.) Some may not like the cost of these applications. While the price isn’t terribly high, some may not like the added cost when considering the cost of the divorce or family law matter itself and any child support or spousal maintenance they already have to pay.

2.) For others who are not tech-savvy, they may struggle with how to use these applications. With both applications, there can be some features that are hard to use and a bit wonky. Those who are better at technology may have fewer issues, while those who do, might find using some of the features frustrating.

3.) Others may feel stressed when they know all their communication is preserved. In that way, they might hyper-focus on what to say and not say. For those who may struggle with communication, there can be a layer of stress that is added when writing communication.

4.) Many courts require parties to check the co-parenting application every day and respond within a certain time frame. For some, they might find the inability to have technology downtime to be stressful. The requirement to check daily can also be problematic if somebody is traveling to a location where there is no cell phone or wireless signal.

Co-Parenting Applications Are Generally A Positive

While there are certainly advantages and disadvantages to co-parenting applications, as a whole, these applications can be positive for most parties. Yes, it may be hard to get used to using one of these applications at first. But using one of these applications can usually bring more peace than stress–and is generally worth the cost.