With parenting time and visitation matters, technology has played a key role in aiding smoother parenting time transitions and contact. A basic example is on-line posting by courts of the Indiana Supreme Court’s parenting time guidelines. Every day, however, new forms of technology tools become available that facilitate parenting time/visitation. Depending on your situation, this blog introduces three such tools that may fit you need and/or prepare you for contempt/modification by helping capture evidence. Is one right for your situation?
The first is thefamilywizard.com that provides a variety of tools for parents to use to focus on parenting time/visitation agreements without involvement of the other side insofar as person-to-person direct communication is required. In simple terms, this is an on-line tool that is a calendar to allow parents to schedule and track time and share other information about the children with the other parent.
The second is Skype; while more known, it plays an invaluable role where parenting time must occur at a distance. It allows by television and camera face-to-face chats. While it is not a substitute for in-person parenting, it is particularly useful in situations when this is impossible or infrequent. A classic example of where Skype may be used for parenting time is with a parent who is in the active military and deployed.
The third and the cutting edge is LG’s new watch-like phone aimed at children 4 to 8 years of age. It allows the parent who purchases this for the child to set out 2 outgoing calls and 4 incoming calls and is capable of GPS tracking of the child. This avoids a parent having to facilitate some or all contact with the other—providing the child with a more authentic and organic call to the other parent.
These tools also provide a “electronic-trail” of evidence that maybe used for contempts and modification proceedings where one parent claims the other did or did not do “X” things/visitation with the child. Ultimately, the child’s best interests are met by the proper use of these tech tools, so long as allowed by law.
This blog post was written by attorneys at Dixon & Moseley, P.C. I it not intended to be legal advice or a solicitation for legal services. It is for educational purposes only. Dixon & Moseley, P.C. attorneys handle child custody and related cases through out the State of Indiana.