OurFamilyWizard Review: Is It Worth It for Co-Parents?

co-parenting kids and divorce

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. I promote very few services, and I only recommend tools I would use or have used myself.

When I first went through my divorce, dealing with the most basic kid issues felt like preparing for battle with my ex again and again. It was exhausting. I did not want to contact him every time the school sent something home, one of the kids was invited to a playdate, or a doctor's appointment needed to be scheduled.

I first learned about OurFamilyWizard at a conference for divorce financial analysts, and the more I learned about it, the more sense it made. It is still one of the co-parenting apps family law professionals recommend most often, and courts regularly order parents to use it.

The short answer

OurFamilyWizard is worth it if your co-parenting is tense, if you need a reliable record, or if there is any chance your case ends up back in court. Messages cannot be edited or deleted, the company says it is accepted by courts in all 50 states, and its ToneMeter tool helps you catch a heated message before you send it. It is a paid app and each parent needs their own account, so if you and your ex get along well, a free shared calendar may be all you need.

What OurFamilyWizard does

OurFamilyWizard puts everything about co-parenting in one place, so you are not digging through texts, emails, and voicemails to figure out who said what. Here are the features that matter most.

Documented messaging. Messages are time-stamped when they are sent and when your co-parent first views them, and they cannot be changed or deleted.
ToneMeter and Writing Assistant. ToneMeter flags language likely to escalate a conversation before you hit send, and Writing Assistant suggests a calmer way to say the same thing. You decide whether to use the suggestion.
Shared calendar. Parenting time, holidays, and activities live in one calendar, and schedule swaps are handled as a request your co-parent accepts or declines.
Expense log. Log shared costs, attach receipts, set how each expense is split (50/50, 80/20, or whatever your agreement says), and see who owes what. In the U.S., OFWpay lets you settle up inside the app.
Info Bank. Medical history, insurance details, school information, and emergency contacts are stored where both of you can find them.
Journal and check-ins. Keep private notes, and use GPS-verified check-ins to document exchanges.
Calls. Documented audio and video calls for virtual visits or co-parent conversations, without sharing your phone number. Calls are currently available in the U.S. only, and call recording is available on the top plan.
Access for others. Kids, extended family, and caregivers can have limited accounts, and your attorney or mediator can be given access to your records.

Why the expense log matters more than you think

From a financial planning perspective, the expense log is one of the most valuable features in the app. Money is one of the most common sources of ongoing conflict after divorce, and a lot of it comes down to memory. Who paid for the braces? Did the reimbursement for soccer camp ever happen? When every expense is logged with a receipt and a split that matches your agreement, those questions answer themselves.

It also gives you a clean record if child support or expense sharing is ever revisited. If you are still negotiating, make sure your agreement spells out which expenses are shared and how. Our guide to splitting kids' expenses after divorce walks through what to include.

OurFamilyWizard plans, in plain terms

OurFamilyWizard is a paid subscription, and each parent has their own account. There are four tiers.

Basic (shown on their pricing page as Choose Your Own) covers messaging, ToneMeter, the calendar, the expense log, the Info Bank, the journal, and unlimited PDF downloads of your records. You can receive calls but not place them.
Essentials adds a monthly allowance of outgoing calls, a set number of in-app payments, Writing Assistant, and more storage.
Premium adds unlimited calls.
Max adds the option to record calls you place to your co-parent.

If cost is a concern, OurFamilyWizard offers a fee waiver program for parents who qualify and a discount for military families. If you subscribe through their website rather than an app store, you have 30 days to request a refund. Features shift over time, so check their current plans before you choose.

Who OurFamilyWizard is best for

Co-parents with ongoing conflict who need a calm, documented way to communicate, including parents divorcing a narcissist.
Anyone whose case may return to court, or who has already been ordered to use it.
Parents who share a lot of expenses and want a clear record of who paid what.
Families with a lot of moving parts, such as several kids, busy activity schedules, caregivers, or stepparents.

When to look at something else

Your ex will not sign up. OurFamilyWizard works best when both parents are on it. BestInterest and AppClose both have options that work when only one parent participates.
You get along well. A free shared calendar may be all you need.
Cost is the main barrier and you do not qualify for a fee waiver. A few apps still offer free plans.

Our comparison of the best co-parenting apps covers all of these alternatives side by side, including which ones are still free.

Getting the most out of it

The app gives you structure, but how you use it still matters. A few habits make a big difference, and our guide to co-parenting after divorce covers the bigger picture.

Write every message as if a judge might read it, because one might.
Use calendar swap requests for schedule changes instead of negotiating back and forth in messages.
Log expenses as they happen, with receipts, rather than in a batch at the end of the month.
Keep messages brief and focused on the kids. How to communicate with a difficult ex-spouse covers the wording.

If you are still finalizing your agreement, name OurFamilyWizard in your parenting plan, decide who pays for each account, and agree on what goes through it. Our parenting plan checklist covers what else to include, and mediation is a good place to work it out together.

Free Guide: The BIFF Response Pack

ToneMeter can flag a heated message, but it cannot write the reply for you. The free pack gives you 10 ready-to-use scripts for the co-parenting texts that are hardest to answer, including schedule changes, holidays, shared expenses, and what to send when your ex sends a dig.

Get the free BIFF Response Pack →

Frequently asked questions

Is OurFamilyWizard free?

No. It is a paid subscription, and each parent needs their own account. Parents who qualify can apply for a fee waiver, and military families can get a discount.

Do both parents have to pay for OurFamilyWizard?

Each parent has their own subscription. Your parenting plan can spell out who covers the cost, the same way it would for any other shared expense.

Is OurFamilyWizard admissible in court?

OurFamilyWizard says it is accepted by courts in all 50 states, and its records cannot be altered. Whether a specific record is admitted in your case is a question for your attorney.

What is ToneMeter?

ToneMeter is OurFamilyWizard's built-in tool that flags emotionally charged language in a message before you send it, so you can rephrase it. On higher plans, Writing Assistant also suggests a calmer rewrite.

What if my ex refuses to use OurFamilyWizard?

If the app is court-ordered, raise it with your attorney. If it is not, consider an app designed to work when only one parent participates. Our co-parenting app comparison covers those options.