Divorce can be stressful on the entire family. To make matters worse, many exes find it hard to be civil to one another, which can make communication even more difficult.
These five apps can help with everything, from co-parenting to managing to support payments and making communication a breeze.
1. OurFamilyWizzard
A comprehensive app with an array of tools to support co-parenting. This company has been around since 2001, and while the app isn’t free ($99 per parent, per year), it does offer a wide range of helpful tools, including:
- Management of shared parenting payments and expenses
- Parenting schedules
- Shared management of family details
- Requests for reimbursements, parenting time exchanges, and more
- Messaging and journals
The application also allows parents to communicate with each other in message format. These messages can never be edited, deleted or destroyed once sent. The app will even tell you if your messages have a positive or negative tone to help improve your communication.
Keeping things positive can help parents avoid conflict that may be detrimental to the child’s well-being.
“The manner in which parents handle divorce has a direct impact on a child’s ability to deal with stressful situations now and in the future,” says attorney Roger W. Stelk “High amounts of conflict between parents create insecurity and anxiety that can interfere with a child’s development for years to come.”
OurFamilyWizzard is a complete co-parenting management system that helps ensure everyone is on the same page about everything at all times.
2. Wevorce
Wevorce is more of a service than a tool-based app, and its goal is to make your divorce as stress-free and economical as possible.
Using a surveying process, the app will help steer you in the direction of the ideal divorce solution for your unique needs. Once you’ve answered the questions, Wevorce will create the necessary court documents and give you filing instructions.
Essentially, Wevorce gives you the option of an online divorce. It can save you money and allow for a peaceful divorce. But this method is not for everyone, so think carefully before going this route. If your divorce is complicated in any way – e.g. you have kids, you own a home, or you own a business – it may be wise to at least consult with an attorney.
3. 2Houses
The 2Houses app offers a free, 14-day trial, and this app is very similar to OurFamilyWizzard. It includes the tools you need for stress-free, effective co-parenting.
2Houses offers:
- A shared calendar, so everyone knows the schedule.
- Expense management, so parents know how much is being spent.
- Information sharing, so both parents can stay up to date on their children’s lives.
- Task and grocery lists
The information sharing feature is fun and almost like its own social network. Along with messages, users can share photos. Parents can comment on messages and photos, too.
If you’re having trouble keeping things organized and tracking expenses, the 2Houses app may be a good solution for your family.
4. SupportPay
What’s the one thing most parents – married and divorced – argue about? Money.
SupportPay aims to make it easy to resolve financial conflicts and stay organized by allowing parents to document expenses and manage child support.
The app maintains a certified record of payments and expenses. Parents can make payments via PayPal, the bank or with cash using the manual payment feature. All of the financial communication is handled through the app to minimize conflict.
SupportPay offers a transparent system and a complete log of payment history, so there’s never a question of who owes what to whom.
5. SquareHub
Offering a place where families can connect, SquareHub is a private social network for families. Send private photos and messages, manage schedules, coordinate family activities and share funny or happy moments.
The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. While it wasn’t designed specifically for divorced families, the app’s features make it easy to manage co-parenting schedules and keep tabs on the kids. There’s even a check-in feature, so parents have peace of mind in knowing where the kids are.
Divorce is rarely easy, but these apps can soften the blow by making co-parenting less challenging and the divorce process a little smoother. While many of these apps aren’t free, they do offer tools that make them worth every penny.
