Please recommend your co-parenting software

[Anonymous]

I am looking for a good co-parenting software application that will help me track relative co-parenting duties. I need something that goes beyond the tracking of overnights and allows for tracking of who does what in terms of other duties (appointments, school meetings, leaving work when a child is sick, etc.).

Although ex and I share physical custody 50%-50% on paper, ex has a more demanding job so I have become the default parent. In addition to covering more than 50% of overnights, I do far more than 50% of the kids' shopping, planning, medical care, hair care, school meetings and support, homework, driving, social coordination, etc. I am happy to keep doing that, but I don't think our current child support fairly reflects the actual allocation of parenting duties, or the effect that these parenting duties have on my ability to take a more lucrative job. I want to start keeping better records so I can figure out what our real time-sharing split is and possibly use it to guide future support negotiations.

I use an IPhone and a PC. Would love to find something that works well from each device. Has anyone used something they like or don't like? Does anyone know if certain programs are more respected by courts and lawyers than others?

[Anonymous]

You can use Google calendar to keep track of all overnights and other scheduling things. You can use Google drive to store electronic copies of receipts and a spreadsheet of expenses.

Are you willing to pay for all the legal expenses needed to change your child support agreement??? Unless circumstances are significantly different than when you created it, it may not be worth the expense or effort.

[Anonymous]

Somebody mentioned My Family Wizard in another thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can use Google calendar to keep track of all overnights and other scheduling things. You can use Google drive to store electronic copies of receipts and a spreadsheet of expenses.

Are you willing to pay for all the legal expenses needed to change your child support agreement??? Unless circumstances are significantly different than when you created it, it may not be worth the expense or effort.

If you can show your ex the numbers, he may agree to an adjustment using the state's calculator. If not, go through the CS office. They didn't charge me, but it took 6 mos.

[Anonymous]

I'm headed into year 6 post- split and I used to think a bit like you - track things, prove I was doing more, etc.

We share legal custody but I have physical custody and he has visitation (full weekends every other week).

My lawyer wisely cautioned me to let sleeping dogs lie and that I would get my "way" much more easily by not poking the bear.

I do ALL the extra - dr appts, haircuts, extra- curricular activities and all the school stuff. Ex cancels at least 1x a quarter if not more.

I want time with my son, going to court to get an extra $100 a month isn't worth the hassle to me and I can afford to make that choice.

Also keep in mind that lawyers and judges don't always care about what chores you do - if he's keeping up his end of the agreement and spending 50% time as mandated you can't dictate how he spends it with them. Judge won't enforce some mandate about your ex having to do 50% of the driving or Drs appointments or dental visits. Judge won't decree that you get extra CS as long as he is keeping to his 50% schedule.

[Anonymous]

Legal Logs might help you as a way to track all of this. They have a calendar, journal, way to keep emails and texts, etc.

[Anonymous]

I would just track this on my google calendar, and not share it with him.

But pp is right. If he's keeping his 50% time, a judge won't care about the dr appointments and parenting chores.

If he's not keeping his 50% time, then you can keep track and go back to court for a modification. Or, you can stop being his babysitter and make him pay one. Maybe then he would realize how much work parenting is.