In recent years, child psychologists have continued to research the impact that divorce has on children. Their conclusions have led many judges to adopt evolving parenting time strategies. Many of them now consider it to be in the best interests of children if they spend equal time with both parents.
This increased focus on co-parenting has resulted in more communication between moms and dads. Phone apps are increasingly being used to facilitate this.
One newly launched app, coParenter, helps separated or divorced parents better navigate co-parenting their child. It, and similar apps, aim to minimize conflict between parents in hopes of keeping them out of court.
Many judges in Fort Myers and elsewhere are beginning to require parents to use these apps. Once you download it, they’ll be able to track both you and your ex’s location and any conversations that you may have. This information can then be used by a judge to make parenting time modifications.
Proponents of such apps argue that they can help judges more effectively look out for children’s best interests and enforce parenting time plans. They argue that it can help them to efficiently and effectively manage their time.
Opponents of these apps argue that they give the government too much access to personal information. They believe that they place too much power in court officials’ hands.
An estimated 70% of those who use coParenter and its competitors Talking Parents and Coparently are forced to use them by the family law judges presiding over their cases.
Judges who ask parents to use these apps appreciate how it frees them up from having to hear small disputes. Since many are given only seven minutes to hear motions, they see these apps as a way to take back time on their schedules. This means that they can focus more on making decisions that could impact the welfare or health of kids. They argue that more superficial issues can be worked out between the parents themselves.
When a couple first splits up, they often struggle to resolve several issues. They often have difficulty deciding where each is going to live, how they’re going to split up assets and how they will share custody of the kids. In the case of the latter, a child custody attorney may be able to use cellphone app data to help strengthen a parent’s case for establishing and modifying the parenting plan and parenting schedule.
