Courts use online messaging services to prevent messenger kids

When you divorce your child’s other parent, you can’t stop dealing with the other parent just because of the divorce. Instead, you and your ex have to figure out how to communicate in a manner that doesn’t make them uncomfortable or responsible for relaying messages.

Many parents try to relay messages through the children for the other parent. The issue with this is that children might forget the message. If it comes out that the child didn’t pass along the message, the child might feel bad. This could be prevented by the adults simply speaking to each other.

Some court systems try to take the pressure off the children by ordering the parents to use an online collaborative service that lets both parents relay messages in a reliable manner. These online platforms, such as the program Orange County uses, “Our Family Wizard,” let parents make plans together.

As a bonus, communication is likely to be cordial on these websites because the courts can usually access what is being said. This means that it is impossible for a parent to make false claims about messages since it all there clear as day. The website time stamps the time the message was sent, read and doesn’t allow the users to delete messages from the court’s view.

Your children are the ones who are truly important in these situations. It is best to remember that what you do now can have an impact on your child. Divorces aren’t easy for anyone, including the children, so take the time to do what you can to make things easier.

Source: Lamorinda Patch, “Children Are Not Mailboxes: Divorced Parents Must Communicate With Each Other,” Susan C. Schena, June 26, 2017