Clients will often call their divorce lawyer in Fort Lauderdale and complain about time-sharing scheduling difficulties, missed appointments for their children and other parenting plan problems. Miami marital and family lawyers also hear complaints that one party has sent inappropriate text messages and emails or has requested reimbursement of unauthorized dental and doctor bills. These problems result in expensive court battles with children stuck in the middle of their parents disputes.
Websites are now available to assist parents in being more efficient with their parenting plan and minimizing conflict. Messages are saved in order to avoid conflicting stories from litigants.
In Broward and Miami-Dade, marital and family lawyers request that the court order parents to use websites such as OurFamilyWizard.com and Sharekids.com to communicate with each other in a more effective manner. While these websites permit therapists, lawyers and parenting coordinators to view the site, they also assist in the resolution of child custody disputes without litigation.
For a fee as low as $99 per year, litigants can use a shared calendar, message boards, expense logs, and an area where they can list important information for their children such as doctors, insurance company information and phone numbers. Parents can also scan and store important documents such as report cards.
Broward Circuit Judge Susan Greenhawt believes that these websites have come a long way since the days when parties communicated by fax machines. E-mails, text messages and Facebook often convey more anger than productive communication amongst litigants.
In Miami-Dade, Circuit Judge Sandy Karlan recommends families use communication sites. Many of the judges and lawyers prefer that parties use these programs. Judge Karlan believes that these sites work well for high conflict cases since the parties are able to talk to one another and save their messages for future dispute resolution.
While few people object to use these family-friendly sites, the ones who have difficulties communicating often find that these programs are beneficial. At the end of the day, it takes two parents to co-parent in order to do what is in the best interest of their children.