A great way to reduce your the number of return trips to court and reduce conflict in a divorce or separated family is to start using an online tool to help with coordinating schedules, expenses and family information.

At the OurFamilyWizard website we get questions regarding what our tools do and how they differ from other sites.

Here is a brief check list of things to consider before choosing the right solution for your family:

o History - how long have they been is business? you don't want to get comfortable with something that may not be around in a year

o Security – what type of protections do they offer? As a start we recommend at least a valid SSL certificate

o Private vs. shared – can you customize the site to meet your needs? Does it allow for personal records as well as family information

o Customer Service – what kind of support is offered? Do they provide a toll free number or just email?

o Accountability - what is done to avoid confusion confusion over who wrote what and when something was entered?

o Write protection – parents cannot change each other’s information

o Parenting time – real life requires clear yet flexible schedules, what tools are in place within the calendar to accommodate this?

o Child friendly content– all content is safe for children, children's access can be filtered based on child's needs

o Easy of use – must be user friendly, easy to learn

o Professional access – some families will need to have a professional working with them to help resolve issues that arise, what kind of access can be provided? Is it flexible based on your particular family's need?

As mentioned above, this is just a brief list of things to consider. When choosing the right product or service for your family it is important to look at what is really needed in your circumstance.

The other thing to keep in mind is that although you may have certain needs today, over time your needs will change. A company with a lot of experience will have encountered many issues with many families. So the offering may seem a bit extreme today, but in the end you will find that they are there for a reason. Organization, accountability and good communication are essential to a good co-parenting relationship and the only way to avoid conflict.