Arizona couples divorce for many reasons, and some breakups are amicable. But many are not. If you and your ex-spouse have kids together, you already understand that divorce doesn’t mean your relationship is over. Your children’s future is the priority, and working together is essential.
The best thing to help your kids cope is to communicate openly and honestly with your ex about custody and visitation matters. That can be tough even when co-parents still get along. Regardless of the current temperature of your relationship, a co-parenting app may be the answer for keeping the lines of communication strong regarding your kids.
The advantages of co-parenting apps
Managing your custody arrangement and parenting time can be a challenge. Co-parenting apps have been around for over 20 years, and there are many to choose from, ranging from free versions to monthly and yearly subscriptions. If you find speaking in-person or over the phone to your ex challenging, here are reasons to consider an app.
You stay connected to your child’s other parent
It is crucial to a child’s well-being for parents to abide by their custody agreement, but communicating in person often leads to more conflict. A vital component of a co-parenting app is the messaging ability. It eliminates or reduces opportunities for arguments and anger. Some apps even recognize negative phrasing in messaging and offer alternate wording to keep the chat civil.
Sharing documents
You and your ex can upload documents relevant to your child’s needs, such as homework assignments, prescriptions or insurance paperwork. Sharing documents electronically means phone calls likely won’t be necessary to explain the need to check your child’s homework or know when it’s due. Likewise, reading a doctor’s note regarding your child’s medication is better than getting the info secondhand.
Sharing a calendar
Perhaps the best feature is the central calendar that both parents can update. You can also make it accessible to other family members to manage trips, dinners, school events and other activities. The calendar is a living document that helps avoid conflicts.
The key to making it work?
Co-parenting apps have helped millions of divorced and separated parents manage custody situations. But they’re only as good as the diligence of the parents who use them, and both must be committed to making them work.
They can also have legal benefits as chat transcripts can be shared with attorneys and courts as evidence when parents don’t live up to the terms of the custody arrangement. The bottom line for many is that they can provide an efficient and organized way to deal with a chaotic situation.