The Benefits of the Our Family Wizard Communication System in Divorces with Children

Our Family Wizard (“OFW”) is a co-parenting phone application that assists families with communication, scheduling, and shared expenses. The app features message boards, journals, expense logs, and information banks to allow split households to share their daily schedules, locations, and other important information with the rest of the household.

OFW’s communication features are specifically designed to assist with co-parenting. Through OFW, messages cannot be lost, edited, or deleted by parties. Messages are timestamped so parties know when their message has been received and opened by the other parent, or when events are added into the shared calendars. This is more secure than traditional email or text messaging between co-parents because OFW uses its own mail server to preserve message histories. Calendar entries are also timestamped, which means that all users of the app can view when an event was added to the calendar, or when events were modified or deleted. OFW also features expense logs and options to reimburse the other parent for shared expenses directly through the app.

Another unique OFW messaging feature is its ToneMeter. The ToneMeter is a built-in attachment that tracks and flags potentially emotionally charged phrases. For example, if one parent begins a message with “It is your fault that. . .”, the ToneMeter will signal the party that their word choice might be inflammatory. OFW encourages mindful communications when discussing family matters.

OFW is a program that individuals can download for their families, or practitioners can utilize for their clients. Both parents need to create their accounts and pay a monthly subscription fee to use OFW. Subscription rates are no more than $17 a month depending on the package selected, making the program affordable for most families. While there is no free version of OFW, there are military discounts and financial assistance for qualifying families. After creating their account, parents can then add grandparents, stepparents, friends, children, and babysitters to their accounts. Additional people will be able to use messaging features and view calendar entries to ensure that the child’s network is on the same page.

In some divorce or custody dispute proceedings, use of OFW is court-ordered when parents have difficulty communicating healthily. However, thousands of families choose to use this program as it helps parents successfully raise children in separate households. By having all schedules, expenses, and communication related to parenting in one place, families are able to efficiently plan for visitations, trips, school events, and more.

Are you trying to co-parent with your former partner? Going through a divorce with children? Contact the Family Law attorneys at McNeelyLaw LLP to discuss modifying your parenting plan to feature these services at 317-825-5110.

This McNeelyLaw LLP publication should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion of any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own lawyer on any specific legal questions you may have concerning your situation.