Custody Communication App

A custody communication app is simply the place where two parents handle the business of raising a child in two homes: pickups and drop-offs, school and doctor appointments, who has which weekend, and the hundred small decisions in between. When a custody case is open, that same thread doubles as the record of how the two of you actually communicate.

Most parents start out using regular text messages, then hit the same wall. Texts get buried in personal conversations, phones get lost or replaced, screenshots look cropped and one-sided, and there is no clean way to hand a year of history to an attorney. A dedicated thread fixes all of that.

FamilyCourtHelp keeps every message about your custody case in one secure, time-stamped, tamper-evident thread. It is free for both parents: $0, no credit card, and no trial clock. There is no message limit, no cutoff date on your history, no credit card and no countdown, which is where most other free plans stop. Building and keeping that history costs nothing. Turning it into a formatted court export is part of Parent Portal Plus at $11 a month, which you can start the month you need it and stop after.

Pair the messaging with the rest of the free account and the whole case lives in one place: a Child Support Calculator that uses your state's guideline, court forms for all 50 states, plain-English family law guides, and a Family Court Map that shows the steps from filing to final order.

One honest caution: no app is "court approved", and this platform is not court ordered. If your court order or parenting plan names a specific app, follow the order, and talk with your attorney or the court before switching. If the order simply requires written communication through an app, or you have not been ordered to use one yet, you and your co-parent can agree on the platform you use. FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help resource, not a law firm, and this is not legal advice.

Your free account also unlocks 50-state family law guides, FAQs and a glossary, a Family Court Map and flowchart, a Child Support Calculator, court forms and official links for all 50 states, and a lawyer and court reporter directory. No credit card, ever.

Frequently asked questions

What is a custody communication app?

It is a messaging tool where co-parents handle everything about the children in one written thread: schedules, exchanges, school, and health. In an open custody case it also serves as the record of how the parents communicate.

Are regular text messages good enough for a custody case?

They can be used, but they are weak. Texts get mixed in with personal conversations, are lost when a phone is replaced, and usually reach the court as cropped screenshots. A dedicated thread gives you a complete, time-stamped history you can export in full.

Do both parents need the app?

Yes, both parents use the same thread, and both of you use it free. Send an invite link and the other parent joins at no cost, so there is no subscription argument.

Can I use it before a case is filed?

Yes. Many parents start the written record before anything is filed, which means that if a case does open, they already have months of clear history instead of scrambling for screenshots.