Divorce can be a stressful and life-altering event for all family members, including children. When a family divides, the legal, financial, and emotional complexities that arise can feel overwhelming.
The Bishop Law Group knows the strain and hardships that family law cases present. We are here to guide you through these troubling times with expertise and compassion.
At The Bishop Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore family lawyers will listen to your side of the story, answer your questions, and address your concerns.
We know what a difficult time this is for you and your family, and we strive to find the most effective and cost-efficient solution to your problems. Above all, this is your life and your case; we will not make any decisions without your involvement and approval.
If you are seeking an experienced and compassionate family law attorney you can trust, call The Bishop Law Group today to discuss the details of your case. Our firm proudly serves clients throughout Maryland, including Baltimore, Ocean City, and other nearby areas.
Tools for Effective Co-Parenting
Navigating co-parenting can be challenging, particularly during custody disputes or following a divorce. With children splitting time between residences, communication between parents may become strained, and keeping track of events, appointments, and updates can be overwhelming. Miscommunication or delays in reaching the other parent can lead to frustration and confusion.
To make co-parenting more efficient and less stressful, there are communication tools designed to assist parents in managing shared custody and staying informed about their children’s needs.
For a free legal consultation, call (410) 390-3101
Recommended Co-Parenting Apps
Two applications commonly recommended by Maryland courts are Our Family Wizard and AppClose. These apps are designed to simplify communication and organization between co-parents. Both are available for download on smartphones and tablets, offering features that support shared parenting responsibilities.
Our Family Wizard
The Our Family Wizard website and mobile app provide a structured and neutral platform designed to help parents communicate effectively while managing the challenges of shared parenting.
Whether coordinating schedules, tracking expenses, or improving communication, the app offers a range of features that promote organization, transparency, and cooperation.
Key Features for Efficient Co-Parenting
Our Family Wizard is tailored to assist parents in maintaining structured communication and organization. Some of its most beneficial features include:
- Shared Calendar for Scheduling – Parents can schedule appointments, events, and custody exchanges in a shared digital calendar, ensuring that both parties stay informed and avoid conflicts. The calendar allows real-time updates, helping parents adjust plans as needed.
- Messaging Platform With ToneMeter Plus – The built-in messaging system keeps all communications organized within the platform, eliminating the confusion that can come with scattered emails or text messages. ToneMeter Plus, an exclusive feature, analyzes the tone of messages before they are sent, helping parents communicate more constructively and reducing the chances of misinterpretation or hostility.
- Expense Tracking for Financial Transparency – Parents can log expenses, track payments, and split costs related to their child’s needs, ensuring fairness and accuracy. Whether managing school fees, medical costs, or extracurricular expenses, this feature helps eliminate disputes and keeps financial records organized.
Access for Parents, Family Members, and Attorneys
Unlike some co-parenting apps that are limited to parents, Our Family Wizard allows co-parents, children, extended family members, and attorneys to join the platform.
Legal professionals involved in custody cases can monitor interactions and use documented communications as reliable records if needed in court proceedings.
Subscription Costs
Our Family Wizard requires a yearly subscription, making it a premium co-parenting tool. As of this writing, subscription prices are:
- Essentials Package (1-year membership) – $149.99
- Essentials Package (2-year membership) – $276
Additional features and upgrades may be available at an extra cost, depending on the user’s needs.
Integration With Court Orders
Due to its structured approach to communication and record-keeping, courts often recommend or require parents to use Our Family Wizard in custody agreements. The platform provides sample court order language to help incorporate its features into legal custody arrangements. Some examples include:
- Mandating communication through the app for shared parenting discussions
- Restricting conversations to the app’s messaging and calendar features, except in emergencies
- Allowing attorneys or other legal professionals to access and monitor interactions
An Organized and Reliable Co-Parenting Tool
Our Family Wizard is designed to reduce conflict, improve communication, and create accountability in co-parenting. By offering structured scheduling, expense tracking, secure messaging, and legal monitoring, it provides a professional and well-documented approach to managing shared parenting responsibilities.
AppClose
AppClose is a free co-parenting app designed to help separated or divorced parents stay organized, communicate effectively, and manage expenses without the cost of a subscription.
Unlike other co-parenting apps such as Our Family Wizard, AppClose provides a structured and accessible solution at no cost, making it an attractive option for parents looking for efficiency without added financial burdens.
It is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, ensuring compatibility across different devices.
Key Features to Simplify Co-Parenting
AppClose provides essential tools that help parents manage daily responsibilities while maintaining clarity and accountability in co-parenting arrangements. Some of its most useful features include:
Shared Calendar for Seamless Scheduling
Coordinating custody schedules, appointments, and activities can be overwhelming, but AppClose’s shared calendar helps simplify the process. Parents can set, view, and adjust schedules in real time, ensuring that both parties stay informed and avoid confusion.
Whether managing school events, extracurricular activities, or visitation times, this feature provides a centralized location for scheduling that keeps co-parents on the same page.
Secure Messaging Platform With Group Chat and Legal Communication
AppClose includes a built-in messaging system that allows co-parents to send secure messages and participate in group chats, helping streamline conversations. Parents can also communicate directly with attorneys within the platform, ensuring that discussions related to custody agreements and legal matters remain well-documented and accessible.
This feature reduces miscommunication and fosters a more structured approach to co-parenting communication.
Audio and Video Calling Capabilities
Recognizing the importance of direct communication, AppClose supports audio and video calls, allowing parents to discuss important matters quickly and efficiently without relying on external apps.
This is particularly beneficial for parents managing long-distance co-parenting arrangements or situations requiring urgent discussions. The ability to connect face-to-face virtually strengthens communication and reduces potential conflicts.
Expense Management and Documentation Tools
Financial responsibilities are a crucial part of co-parenting, and AppClose offers expense tracking features that help parents log payments, request reimbursements, and upload receipts related to their child’s care.
This system promotes transparency and accountability, ensuring that shared financial obligations are well-documented and easily accessible. Parents can track contributions toward medical expenses, school fees, and other essentials without confusion or disputes.
A Free, Accessible, and User-Friendly Alternative
While some co-parenting apps require monthly subscription fees, AppClose remains completely free, making it an accessible tool for all parents, regardless of financial limitations. Its intuitive and user-friendly interface ensures that parents can easily navigate its features without frustration.
By providing interactive scheduling, secure messaging, expense tracking, and calling capabilities, AppClose offers a well-rounded solution for parents looking for a structured and cost-free way to coordinate their co-parenting efforts.
With these features, AppClose simplifies co-parenting by promoting organization, communication, and financial transparency—all while ensuring that parents remain focused on creating a stable and supportive environment for their child.
Other Parenting Apps to Consider
Talking Parents
With a high user satisfaction rating and over 550,00 downloads, Talking Parents takes care of co-parenting needs with ease.
Besides communicating with your co-parent with secure time-stamped messages for complete transparency, you can also request money, keep a personal journal, and document important interactions.
Peruse the parenting resources for free tips on a variety of topics. It also gives you the option to upgrade your plan based on your needs.
Key Features:
- Create cards with important contact numbers
- Keep a private journal that your co-parent cannot see
Ensure Clarity and Maintain Documented Communication
Miscommunication can create unnecessary conflicts in co-parenting, leading to misunderstandings and disputes. With this service, uncertainty is eliminated, ensuring that all communication remains clear, organized, and securely documented.
Every message and call is timestamped and permanently saved, preventing alterations or deletions. This ensures accountability and provides both parents with an accurate record of interactions.
Additionally, all exchanges are stored in an Unalterable Record, making them a reliable source of evidence if needed for legal purposes. This feature helps maintain transparency, ensuring that each parent takes full responsibility for their words and actions. By offering a structured and secure communication system, this service reduces confusion and promotes cooperation.
Simplify Coordination and Maintain Accountability
Balancing custody exchanges, financial responsibilities, and other co-parenting tasks can feel overwhelming. This service helps streamline the process by keeping all crucial information stored in one centralized location, eliminating the need for frequent back-and-forth discussions. Parents can quickly access schedules, financial records, and agreements, making coordination more efficient and reducing stress.
By providing a well–organized platform, co-parents can track shared responsibilities without worrying about lost messages or forgotten agreements. The system promotes accountability, ensuring that both parents contribute to a structured and effective co-parenting arrangement.
Keep Important Files and Information Securely Organized
Managing essential records, such as photos, videos, and documents, can become overwhelming without a reliable storage solution. This service offers secure storage tools, allowing parents to keep track of these files without hassle.
Important records, such as medical documents, school reports, and legal agreements, can be stored safely and retrieved whenever needed.
Additionally, the platform provides private spaces for jotting down notes, tracking events outside the app, and recording thoughts, feelings, and observations. By keeping all essential information in one easily accessible location, this service helps co-parents stay organized, ensuring they can quickly reference important details when necessary.
This system is designed to make co-parenting more structured, transparent, and efficient, helping parents focus on what truly matters—their child’s well-being.
2houses
2houses is a co-parenting app designed to help separated or divorced parents coordinate schedules, track expenses, and communicate efficiently.
By providing an interactive calendar, secure messaging, and document storage, it simplifies co-parenting responsibilities while ensuring both parents stay informed and organized.
Interactive Calendar for Seamless Scheduling
Co-parenting requires careful planning and coordination, and 2houses makes it easier with its customizable calendar. Parents can set custody schedules, track events, and plan appointments while ensuring that both parties remain updated in real time.
The app allows for adjustments and requests without unnecessary back-and-forth conversations, minimizing conflicts and ensuring smoother transitions for the child.
Expense Tracking for Financial Transparency
Finances can be a major source of conflict in co-parenting. 2houses offers an expense tracking system that allows parents to log costs, upload receipts, and track financial contributions related to their child’s care.
This feature promotes accountability and fairness, ensuring that expenses are managed clearly and disputes over payments are avoided.
Secure Messaging for Effective Communication
Strong communication is key in co-parenting, and 2houses provides a built-in messaging feature to keep conversations professional and organized. Parents can send messages, discuss schedules, and share important updates all within the app.
Unlike traditional text messages, this system ensures that all exchanges are documented and accessible for reference if needed.
Document Storage for Easy Access to Important Files
Co-parents often need access to medical records, school reports, custody agreements, and other essential documents. 2houses offers secure storage for these files, making them readily available whenever needed. This eliminates the hassle of searching through emails or paperwork, helping parents stay organized and prepared at all times.
With its integrated scheduling, expense tracking, messaging, and document storage, 2houses simplifies co-parenting by offering a structured and efficient system.
Parents can reduce miscommunication, minimize financial disagreements, and stay focused on providing stability and support for their child.
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Contact Us
If you have questions about co-parenting tools or need legal guidance, The Bishop Law Group is here to help. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
Our team will walk you through the process and provide the support you need.
Call or text (410) 390-3101 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
