How Refusing to Use coParenter Can Hurt You (and your case)
Are you the coParent who’s resistant to using the coParenter app? If you haven’t wondered how this might hurt your case, you should. Let’s break down some of the ways NOT using the app might be detrimental to you. Ready? Good.
They’ll Have Backup; you won’t
In court, judges make decisions based on evidence. Which means that unless you have meticulous record keeping skills and are prepared to provide the court with every single piece of evidence you need, you could be in trouble. If your coParent is using the app, chances are they’ll have all the records of communication, evidence of pick-ups and drop-offs and details about every child-related request they need to prove that they’ve tried their best to coParent. And you won’t.
They’ll Be Able Show Best Efforts
As a user, your coParent will be able to provide documentation for every effort they’ve made to be the best coParent they can be. They’ll be able to show how and when they attempted to communicate with you because nothing in the app can be deleted. All of which shows their commitment to coParenting. And all you’ll have are excuses about how you just didn’t feel like using it.
They’ll be able to prove they were there; you won’t
With the Check-In feature, your coParent can easily show the Court they were on time and on schedule for child exchanges. They won’t have to save and keep track of time-stamped receipts or messages to prove they were where they said they’d be. How will you prove you even showed up? Will you be scrambling the day before Court to find this info? Will you be able to find it at all?
Judges Often Respond Positively to Positive Behavior
Picture this scenario: You’re in court and your coParent says, “Judge, I’ve been using the coParenter app to try to create a Parenting Time Schedule, to attempt to communicate with my coParent in a secure environment, and to document whenever I pick-up or drop-off the kids, all in an effort to collaborate and cooperate.
The Judge says, “And what happened?”
Your coParenter says, “Nothing. They wouldn’t use it.”
Do you think refusing to use the app is going to get you on the judge’s good side? We can’t say for sure, but we can guess that the judge isn’t going to be happy.
You Could Lose a LOT of Money
At the end of a case, a judge may force one parent to pay the legal fees for both parties- and with average attorney fees reaching $300+/hour, this can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars. When weighing these decisions, judges will often consider whether or not parents made a ‘good faith’ effort to come to an agreement on their own, before asking the judge to make a decision. If one parent has evidence that they tried- and can prove that you wouldn’t cooperate- you may be forced to write a pretty big, gnarly check.
Your Children Lose
At its core, coParenter was designed to help you put your children first. By using coParenter to communicate, you’ll avoid getting triggered by the sight, smell or sound of your ex. This means less fighting and arguing- and more time for focusing on your children. And because you’re able to create agreements and parenting times schedules QUICKLY and EARLY, you won’t waste time and money on attorneys and courts. And this means more time and money for your child’s future.
In Summary
Don’t be the coParent who refuses to cooperate. It takes a few minutes to sign up, it’s easy to use, and it’s free! Let coParenter help you build a verifiable record of positive behavior, cooperation and focus on your child’s best interests. Because less time and money spent in Court is the best thing you can give your children.
About Stephanie Brooker
