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Hi everyone, I’m Dr. Michael Mantell with another Family Law Matters with Bonnie Rabinovtich Mantel, who is the owner and managing partner of the Primus Family Law Group. Hello, Bonnie. Hi, Michael, how are you doing today? Good, how are you? We’re doing great.

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We have an interesting topic today. Lots and lots of people are concerned about co-parenting. We have children or a child, regardless of the age, and boy, it’s tough because he wants to do it this way and she wants to do it this way.

(0:36 – 0:56)
I know there are a number of key tools, if you will, that you provide your clients with regarding co-parenting. Let’s talk about some of those. Well, you know, Michael, there’s a lot of tools that are out there that are routinely ordered by the court, but you don’t need to have a court order to use them.

(0:56 – 1:19)
For example, routinely the court will order parents into a co-parenting class, where you actually spend eight hours, not all at once, it’s over the course of a few weeks, and learn tools on how to co-parent. And you’re supposed to take the same class, just not together. They’re not silly enough to think that, oh, putting these people in the same room would be a good idea.

(1:20 – 1:39)
No, you take it separately, you learn the same stuff, and hopefully you use these tools. One of those is called Kids Turn, and it’s run in San Diego, and it’s court accredited. It’s run by a really nice person, Ms. Cindy Grossman, and you learn some really key tools.

(1:39 – 2:01)
Another thing that the court often uses, and you don’t have to wait for this, is parenting apps. There is Our Family Wizard, which is a little bit more expensive, and there is Talking Parents. And what is really nice about these apps, Michael, is that you can give each other notice of changes in schedules.

(2:01 – 2:09)
You can upload schedules. You can upload receipts for doctor’s visits. You can download school schedules.

(2:09 – 2:29)
All of it can be done on this app so that people can, in real time, or within a few hours, can communicate about what their kids’ needs are. And it also holds you to a little bit of a line because it’s considered evidence. It’s not considered hearsay.

(2:29 – 2:58)
It’s considered admissible evidence because you can’t manipulate the messages like you can on phone apps and other things. And so what you say is clearly read, and how you say it is clearly there. And so people tend to be a lot more respectful and cooperative on these applications because they know somebody could be using it, gosh forbid, in the future.

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Well, that’s an interesting question. What do we have to assure that a parent who’s taking the course or using one of these apps is actually doing it with their children? You can’t. That’s just human nature.

(3:15 – 3:37)
If these people wanna stay out of litigation, it would be nice for them to recognize the benefits of this, not just staying out of litigation, but to their children’s bellies, their own bellies, their own mental health. You don’t have to like each other. You don’t have to, but you can work to just get, tolerate each other, tolerate each other.

(3:37 – 3:57)
And don’t put the child in between both of you when you’re shooting an arrow because it goes to the child first. Absolutely. If people have questions about the other tools that you mentioned and so forth regarding co-parenting, how can they be in touch? They can reach us directly at 619-574-8000.

(3:58 – 4:20)
And you can be put on any one of our Certified Family Law Specialist calendars for a free 30 minute telephone or Zoom consultation, as you wish. You can reach us online at www.PrimusFamilyLaw.com. There’s a live chat agent you can get in contact with. There’s a form you can fill out.

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Always lead to us trying to help you.