Co-parenting alone
They will not join the app. You still need a record.
Shared co-parenting apps only work when both parents log in. Yours will not. That does not mean you go into a hearing with nothing.
Scout is free. They never get a login.
OurFamilyWizard, TalkingParents, and the rest are built around two accounts. If the other parent never signs up, or signs up and stops opening it, the calendar is empty and the message log is half a conversation. You end up back where you started: screenshots in your camera roll and dates you are trying to remember.
Custody Ninja works the other way around. It is one parent's private record. There is no invite to send, nothing to negotiate, and no notification. They never get a login, they never see your entries, and they cannot change a word of what you wrote.
What you keep on your own
- The calendar
- Your ordered schedule beside what actually happened, so missed and shortened time is visible instead of argued.
- Exchanges
- Set time, actual time, who was there, what was said. Written the same day, every time.
- Messages
- Paste a thread or import an export so their copy disappearing does not remove yours.
- Receipts
- Each expense with a date, an amount, and whether it was ever reimbursed.
- A packet
- A cover page, a dated chronology, and an exhibit list you can print for your attorney.
If your order names a shared app
Some orders require messages to go through a specific app. Keep doing exactly what your order says — send the messages there. Then keep your own dated record of late pickups, denied calls, holidays, and expenses privately. The shared app is where you talk to them. Your vault is what you hand your attorney.
Scout is free. They never get a login.
Questions parents ask
What if the other parent refuses to use a custody app?
You do not need them. Custody Ninja is a record you keep on your own. There is no invitation step, so there is nothing for them to refuse.
Do apps like OurFamilyWizard work if only one parent signs up?
Shared co-parenting apps are built around two accounts. Messages and calendars only work when both parents log in and keep using it. A private record does not depend on them at all.
The court ordered us to message through a shared app. Can I still use this?
Yes. Keep sending messages where your order says to send them, and keep your own dated record of what happened here. One is where you talk; the other is what you print later.
Will they be notified that I signed up?
No. They never get a login, never get an email, and never see or edit anything you write.
Keep reading
Custody Ninja is a documentation tool. It is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. Talk to an attorney about your order and your case.
Custody Ninja is a documentation tool. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.