Using OurFamilyWizard - worth it?

Dec 151 min read

My co-parent and I have been texting/calling to coordinate and it's... messy. Lots of back-and-forths about pickups, whose buying what for school, etc. Saw OurFamilyWizard recommended on here a few times. Is it really better than just texting? And does my ex have to agree to use it or can I just set it up? We're not in a hostile situation so I don't need it for legal documentation purposes necessarily, just logistics.

11 comments291 views

Comments(11)

BBrad H.RegularDec 15

Free alternative: Google Calendar with sharing. Not as robust but honestly does 80% of what families need without the monthly fee. OurFamilyWizard is nicer but it's not free nicer.

LLuke N.RegularDec 15

One warning - if your co-parent is legitimately combative, OurFamilyWizard becomes a record of their combativeness. Which can be good (lawyer stuff) or bad (makes things feel more formal/tense). Depends on your situation.

PPatrick W.RegularDec 16

Depends on how messy things are. If you're mostly functional co-parenting, maybe unnecessary. If there's finger pointing about who said what, absolutely get it

HHank C.RegularDec 16

100% worth it if there's any conflict. the app creates a paper trail and keeps things professional. way better than screenshots of texts

EEd R.RegularDec 16

Just know that it's kind of formal which some people hate at first. but that formality actually helps - you type more carefully, less reactive stuff happens

FFinn M.RegularDec 16

OurFamilyWizard is worth every penny if your texts are turning into arguments. Having everything documented and neutral takes SO much heat out of things. Plus you can actually look back at what was agreed instead of 'you said' 'I didn't say'.

NNick J.RegularDec 16

Literally paying for peace of mind at this point. Yeah it costs money but the amount of stress it saves is worth it. No more 'wait did you say you were picking him up at 5 or 6?'

MMarcus W.RegularDec 17

Used it for 2 years. Game changer for us. The biggest thing is it forces clarity - you can't be vague about pickup times or expenses. My co-parent and I stopped a lot of conflicts just by being specific in writing.

ZZack M.RegularDec 17

we use it and it saved us multiple times during custody disagreements. plus the other parent can't claim they "didn't see" a message

BBrad H.RegularDec 16

the expense log feature alone makes it worth it imo. no more "wait did we already split that soccer fee" arguments

JJoe C.RegularDec 17

The calendar feature alone is worth it. No more double-bookings or surprise schedule changes texted last minute. We still text casually but use the app for actual plans.