To get OurFamilyWizard court ordered, file a motion in your existing custody case asking the judge to require both parents to use the platform for all co-parenting communication, serve the other parent with the paperwork, and present your case at a hearing. The filing steps themselves take a few days. Getting a hearing date depends on your court’s calendar.
When Judges Are Likely to Order It
Judges order platforms like OurFamilyWizard when direct communication between parents is creating problems that affect the children or keep pulling the case back into court. The strongest fact pattern is a documented history of high-conflict exchanges: hostile texts, harassing emails, arguments that derail every conversation about schedules or expenses. If you have been back before the judge more than once because you and your co-parent cannot agree on what was said or promised, a monitored platform starts to look like a practical fix.
Courts also order these tools when one parent deletes messages or denies conversations happened. OurFamilyWizard creates an unalterable record; messages cannot be edited, deleted, or retracted after sending.1OurFamilyWizard. Feature Overview In cases involving protective orders or domestic violence concerns, the platform can function as a buffer that keeps communication focused on the children without requiring direct contact.
Parallel parenting arrangements are another common trigger. When parents genuinely cannot interact without hostility, judges sometimes structure custody so each parent operates independently during their parenting time, and a court-ordered communication tool slots naturally into that arrangement.
Drafting the Motion
The motion is the document that tells the judge what you want and why. Most jurisdictions use a standard form, often called a Motion for Order or Motion for Instructions, available from the clerk’s office or the court’s website. The motion needs to identify both parents, reference your existing custody case number, and state clearly that you are asking the court to require both parties to use OurFamilyWizard for all co-parenting communication.
What to Ask For
A workable motion goes beyond the basic request and gives the judge the practical details that make the order enforceable. Spell out how the subscription will be paid. OurFamilyWizard’s plans start at $110 per year per parent, with higher-tier plans running up to roughly $300 per year.2OurFamilyWizard. Plans and Pricing Propose whether each parent pays their own subscription, the cost is split evenly, or the split follows an income-based ratio. A judge who does not have to work out the money is more likely to sign quickly.
Request specific features that map to the problems in your case. If tone is the issue, ask for a plan that includes ToneMeter AI, which flags negative language and suggests neutral alternatives before a message is sent.1OurFamilyWizard. Feature Overview If you fight constantly about money, request the Expense Log and OFWpay features. If custody exchanges are contentious, the Journal’s Check-in feature lets parents verify their location at drop-offs. Tying each feature to a documented problem strengthens the argument.
Include a deadline for account setup (ten to fourteen days after the order is signed is common), a minimum response time for messages, and whether attorneys or a guardian ad litem should have access. Professional accounts for lawyers, mediators, and therapists are free, so cost is not a barrier to that request.3OurFamilyWizard. Account Types
Use the Platform’s Model Order Language
OurFamilyWizard publishes model language written specifically for court orders, which you can download and adapt for your proposed order.4OurFamilyWizard. Model Language for Court Orders Starting from that template saves drafting time and uses phrasing judges already recognize. If the other parent has an attorney, chances are good that attorney has seen it before, which cuts down on argument over wording.
Attach Evidence
Bring exhibits that show why the platform is needed. Screenshots of hostile texts, printouts of emails where the other parent denies agreements, or a log of unanswered messages about the children’s medical appointments all help. Organize them chronologically and label each one clearly. If mediation already flagged communication as a problem, include that too. You are showing a pattern, not a single bad day.
Filing and Serving the Other Parent
File the motion and your proposed order with the family court clerk in the county where your custody case is pending. There is a filing fee, and motion fees vary widely; many courts charge somewhere between $20 and $100 for a motion in an existing case, but check your local fee schedule. The clerk stamps the documents, assigns a hearing date, and gives you copies to serve.
Formal legal notice has to reach the other parent before the hearing. Depending on your jurisdiction, acceptable service usually includes personal delivery by a process server, certified mail, or in some courts electronic service through a registered e-filing system. You cannot serve the documents yourself. Once service is done, file proof of service with the court so the judge knows the notice requirement is met.
The other parent then has a set number of days to file a written response or objection. That window varies by jurisdiction and commonly falls somewhere between ten and thirty days. If they oppose the motion, both sides argue at the hearing. If they do not respond, the judge may grant the motion by default, though some courts still hold a brief hearing.
The Hearing
At the hearing, the judge will ask you to explain why a court-ordered communication platform is necessary. This is where the exhibits do their work. Walk the judge through the pattern of breakdowns and connect each problem to a specific platform feature that addresses it. If you proposed an income-based cost split, bring financial documentation to back it up.
The other parent gets to respond. Common objections are cost, unfamiliarity with technology, and the argument that current communication is fine. Judges tend to be unimpressed by cost objections when entry-level plans run about $110 per year, especially compared to the cost of repeated litigation.2OurFamilyWizard. Plans and Pricing Technology objections rarely land either, since the platform runs on any smartphone or computer.
If the judge grants the motion, they will sign the order at the hearing or within a few days. Get a certified copy from the clerk. You will need it for account setup and for any enforcement action later.
Setting Up Accounts After the Order
Both parents must create accounts and subscribe within whatever deadline the order sets. The first parent to sign up enters the co-parent’s email during registration, and OurFamilyWizard emails the other parent a welcome message with a sign-up link.5OurFamilyWizard. My Co-Parent Has an Account, How Do I Get Started? Each parent pays for their own subscription through the platform’s payment portal.
If the order grants access to attorneys, a guardian ad litem, or a therapist, those professionals create free accounts and connect to both parents’ profiles.3OurFamilyWizard. Account Types A connected professional can review communication without either parent forwarding anything. You can also submit a copy of the court order directly to OurFamilyWizard through their built-in intake, which helps support align the account configuration with what the judge required.
If You Cannot Afford the Fees
OurFamilyWizard runs a fee waiver program for the subscription. To qualify, you need one of the following: proof of indigence approved by a court within the last twelve months, verification of government benefits such as Medicaid, food assistance, or housing assistance issued within the past ninety days, or a signed letter from an attorney providing pro bono or reduced-rate legal services.6OurFamilyWizard. Fee Waiver Program A benefits card by itself is not enough; you need an official verification letter or statement.
New users without an existing account can apply online through OurFamilyWizard’s website. If your co-parent already opened an account and sent you an invitation, contact the platform’s support team directly and they will send you a fee waiver application link.7OurFamilyWizard. How Do I Apply for the OurFamilyWizard Fee Waiver
Separately, if the court’s filing fee is beyond your means, most courts let you request a fee waiver by filing an affidavit of indigence, sometimes called an in forma pauperis petition. Criteria vary by jurisdiction and generally require you to show that paying would create financial hardship. Ask the clerk for the fee waiver form when you pick up your motion paperwork.
If the Other Parent Ignores the Order
A signed court order is not a suggestion. Once the judge orders both parents to use OurFamilyWizard, refusing to set up an account, ignoring messages on the platform, or communicating through unauthorized channels like personal text messages can each count as a violation. The complying parent can file a motion for contempt asking the court to sanction the other side.
Contempt sanctions in family court can include fines, changes to the parenting schedule, an award of attorney fees to the parent who had to bring the enforcement action, or in serious cases a finding that affects custody. Judges have wide discretion, and repeated violations tell the court that a parent is not prioritizing the children’s stability. The unalterable message log cuts both ways: it documents compliance as clearly as it documents refusal, so keep using the platform even when the other parent will not.