Co-parenting app clauses for parenting plans and court orders: sample wording

• Which app. Name one, or allow any from a short list so a family isn't stuck if an app changes its prices or plans.
• What goes through it. Usually non-urgent messages about the children, schedule changes, and expenses that need consent.
• Reply times. A set number of days for ordinary messages and for expense requests.
• Cost. Some apps charge each parent and some charge one price per family. Say who pays.
• Professional access. Whether a lawyer, mediator or parenting coordinator can see the record.
• Emergencies and safety. A carve-out for emergencies, and for situations where direct contact isn't safe.

The parents shall communicate about the children in writing through a co-parenting application such as OurFamilyWizard, TalkingParents, AppClose or Tandem, as agreed between them, except in an emergency involving a child, when they may call or text and shall record the contact in the application within 24 hours.

Each parent shall reply to a message about the children within [2] days, and to a request for consent to an expense within [7] days. If a parent does not reply to an expense request within that time, the requesting parent may [proceed / refer the request to the parenting coordinator].

A parent seeking the other parent’s consent to a special or extraordinary expense shall make the request through the application before the expense is incurred, with the cost, the provider and any supporting document. Consent given or refused through the application is binding for the purposes of this clause.

[Each parent shall pay their own subscription / The parents shall share the cost of one family subscription equally]. Either parent may give read-only access to [their lawyer / the mediator / the parenting coordinator], and shall not delete or edit messages.

App pricing and plans change. For example, TalkingParents stopped offering a free plan on March 30, 2026. A clause that allows any of several apps, “as agreed between them”, means parents don’t need to return to court if one app stops suiting them.