How technology helps co-parenting after separation or divorce

Any time a complaint is brought before a New Jersey court, it is the responsibility of the accuser to support a claim with evidence. If you assert a former spouse or partner has failed to live up to a child support or custody agreement, it’s up to you to show proof of the claim.

With that in mind, application developers have created software programs that help Bergen County parents track financial and personal interactions with exes. Some applications isolate co-parenting expenses, visitation schedules and communications.

Apps like SupportPay, 2Houses and OurFamilyWizzard document the dates and amounts of support payments and coordinate visitations. Shared calendars allow both parents to keep track of vacations and child-related extracurricular activities.

The saved information can show whether an ex paid, underpaid or missed a support payment. The applications work equally well for non-custodial parents by providing evidence of visitation times and extra payments made. 2Houses is a free application, OurFamilyWizzard charges each parent $99 annually and SupportPay plans to charge parents who want to tap into past support payment records.

SquareHub offers similar features beneficial to all families who wish to coordinate activities and share images and text messages. However, the application was designed specifically with separated and divorced families in mind. The app is free.

Wevorce is an app that matches separated or divorcing individuals with the legal, financial or counseling professionals best suited to help them. The founders claim the service can save app users up to $10,000 in fees and other costs. The app is free but the services provided by the recommended professionals – therapists, financial experts, mediators, divorce coaches and lawyers – are not.

The advantages of most of these apps kick in only after a separation or a divorce agreement is in place. Many individuals benefit from one-on-one consultations with family law attorneys before and after any relationship decisions are formalized.

Source: Forbes, “5 Apps That Promise to Make Divorce Easier,” Emma Johnson, July 26, 2015