How to Navigate Co-Parenting with Your Ex Like a Pro –Using a Phone App!
It has been said that “an ex becomes an ex for a reason.” But when it comes to being a parent—and co-parenting a child with an ex—for better or worse, you want to do everything you can to create a positive flow of communication because it is in the best interest of not only the child, but all involved.
As lawyers—and as parents, we understand that coparenting can present some challenges. Depending upon how good of a relationship you have with your ex, you may find yourself fully- entrenched in communication challenges that turn into shouting matches, texting wars, disputes over various issues, and missed parenting time.
If you are co-parenting children, we highly recommend that you embrace one of the mainstream phone apps that were created specifically for that purpose. Both apps are frequently recommended by courts. The apps allow for third party access so that a parenting coordinator or a guardian ad litem (GAL) will be able to access them to see what the parents are doing and how they are communicating, so that the GAL can make further recommendations for co-parent counseling, etc. They also prevent either parent from editing or deleting prior communications.
We will tell you about a few of these apps. (It bears mentioning that we have no affiliation with either of these and are simply sharing this information as a helpful resource.)
Talking Parents (App)
This co-parenting app allows you to:
- Coordinate schedules and parenting time
- Track and manage shared expenses
- See “first-time viewed” time stamps on messages
- Share notes, videos, and photos
- Includes a “tone meter” that analyzes and gauges the tone of your communications, so you know when you may need to rein in your tone.
Cost: Free or $9.99/$24.99 per month
Our Family Wizard (App)
This co-parenting app allows you to:
- Access a shared calendar to manage custody schedule and coordinate appointments
- Securely send and receive payments for shared expenses via “Accountable Payments”
- Access an “information library” of pertinent information related to the child
- Access a “personal journal” that allows you to make private notes of interactions and other pertinent information that is not shared with the other parent
- Storage for co-parenting documents
- Secure messaging – you and the coparent cannot edit or delete messages
Cost: $12-17/month ($99 per parent/per year)
Using these apps or something similar will give you a formal means of communicating with your ex at a dedicated space, without the need for back-and-forth texting or calling, which sometimes tends to escalate and can lead to a co-parenting war.
Yes, he or she did become your ex for a reason. But with a bit of effort and by leveraging the use of modern technology and phone apps—you can take your level of communicating with the ex from a place of “no thanks” to “pro ranks.” Work to become the best co-parent you can be.
If you have any questions about dissolution in Indiana, child custody, parenting time issues, or other family law questions, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone to speak with one of our experienced family law attorneys today at (317) 269-3500.
We’re here to help.
Contact us today!
