When Parents Divorce, Apps Can Reduce the Child-Custody Acrimony

Divorce can bring out the worst in parents who are already accustomed to bickering with each other. Even an argument about whether a kid should join a soccer team—and who will pay—can end up in a courtroom.

To minimize discord and unnecessary court time, family-law judges increasingly order warring parents to use co-parenting apps. The new tools may not solve every problem, but experts say they can ease the stress on children caught in the crossfire.

Created by divorced parents, family-law attorneys and judges who saw a need to create a better way for families to communicate, the apps can allow parents to document their compliance with the parenting plan. Some have a check-in feature so parents can prove that they picked up or handed off their children when and where they were supposed to. Others use artificial intelligence to flag messages written in an aggressive tone, reminding parents to keep their communications civil. Most have calendars that help both parents keep track of their children’s activities and appointments—no matter whose day it is.

Candis Lewis, a mother of three who lives on a military base near Tacoma, Wash., said the Talking Parents app she and her ex-husband were ordered to use has eliminated the stress of arguing over whether a text message or email was received. All messages in the app are time-stamped, and show exactly when the other parent read them.