Written by: The Circles Team

July 14, 2021



Ask any parent and they will probably agree with us that parenting is a hard job even under the best circumstances. Parenting during and after a divorce, on the other hand, brings that difficulty to a whole new level. Even though you’re not together anymore, you’re both committed to doing the best for your kids, but it’s not what it used to be. Life and schedules make this even more difficult.

“We have to be where, when?”

“Whose week is this?”

“I can’t today, can we switch days?”

It’s a lot to handle. Finding emotional support from others who are also going through a divorce, like the kind you can find at Circles, is incredibly beneficial, but we know it takes more than that to get you back on track. Luckily, in today’s smartphone society, there are apps to help with clear communication, documentation, and scheduling between co-parents. You’ll be much more organized and much less likely to send your ex a frantic “ARE YOU FREE TO DO PICKUP THIS AFTERNOON?” text.

One of those apps is AppClose. AppClose’s mission is “To provide co-parents and caretakers alike with tools and innovative technology that delivers simple, yet effective ways for families to co-parent better together through the ease and convenience of a mobile device.”

Based in Austin, Texas, AppClose was created in 2016 by a team of professionals with a desire to provide parents (married, divorced, single, or otherwise) and the professionals that work alongside them with tools designed to engender positive communication and keep all child-related needs in one, easy to access place. So what does it do? Here are some of its best features:

Calendar

Life is busy in general, and it’s even busier when you’re co-parenting. Synching calendars can be overwhelming, but not with AppClose’s multi-functional calendars, designed to keep everyone on the same page. With their easy-to-use parenting schedule templates, preset calendar options, statistical features, and more, your record-keeping abilities are endless!

Messenger

AppClose enables you to enjoy the convenience of having all of your parenting and professional communications all in one location! This includes the ability to group chat AND communicate with your attorney confidentially. Moreover, to ensure all records are accurate, AppClose prevents you from deleting or editing chat conversations between parents.

Requests and Expenses

Need to be reimbursed for something or need to swap parenting days? AppClose allows you to submit your requests to the other parent or a third party and notifies you when your request is approved, paid, or declined. They also make it easy to scan and attach documents (like receipts) to requests to ensure that nothing gets lost! You can get paid and send payments for expenses using ipayou, ApplClose’s built-in payment solution.

Your Circle

This is our favorite feature (we know, we’re biased). AppClose allows you to create multiple Circles in the app (think WhatsApp group chats) so you can talk to more people beyond your co-parent. AppClose recognizes that it takes a village, and creating a circle allows you to communicate with stepparents, grandparents, other caregivers, and even third-party professionals. This makes it super easy to share important information with everyone in your circle, all at the touch of a button!

We understand that going through the process of separation or divorce is difficult, whether you’re in the beginning stages or later stages. You can always get the emotional support you need at Circles from others also going through this process, and AppClose is a great way to organize your day-to-day. With apps like these, you’re all set for your future.