About Co-Parenting for Women
Co-parenting programs help separated and divorced mothers share custody constructively and document communication. Most states require court-ordered parent education (often called 'children first' or 'co-parenting' classes) before finalizing a divorce or custody order involving minor children — typically 4–6 hours, online or in person, costing 5–$75. Court-based mediation programs are often free or sliding-scale and certified through state mediation councils. Digital tools like OurFamilyWizard, Talking Parents, and 2Houses provide court-admissible message logs, shared calendars, and expense tracking that family judges increasingly require in high-conflict cases. This directory includes state-required classes, mediators, and co-parenting apps.
14 Resources
The SC Judicial Branch operates a roster of certified family-court mediators across the state for divorcing and never-married parents working out custody. Many counties require mediation before contested custody hearings. Phone 803-734-1800 or check sccourts.org for your county's mediation program. Free or sliding-scale.
803-734-1800 · Statewide Service · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website
Richland County's Family Court mediation program at 1701 Main Street in Columbia matches parents with court-approved mediators to resolve custody and visitation outside the courtroom. Sliding-scale or court-paid in qualifying cases. Phone 803-576-1950 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm to confirm referral process.
803-576-1950 · 1701 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website
The Charleston County mediation roster connects mothers in the Lowcountry to certified family mediators for custody, divorce, and parenting-plan disputes. Phone 843-723-0035 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm to inquire about scheduling. Often less costly and faster than full litigation.
843-723-0035 · Charleston, SC 29401 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Children's Trust at 1330 Lady Street in Columbia funds and coordinates evidence-based parenting programs across SC — Parents as Teachers, Triple P, and Nurturing Parenting. Locate the nearest free class at scchildren.org. Phone 803-744-4032 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm. Free for participating families.
803-744-4032 · 1330 Lady St Suite 310, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website
Family Connection of SC at 1800 Main Street in Columbia supports families with children who have special healthcare needs, including parent-to-parent matching, sibling support, and resources for co-parenting around medical complexities. Phone 803-252-0914 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm. Free.
803-252-0914 · 1800 Main St Suite 200, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website
Beaufort County Family Court's mediation program serves Hilton Head, Bluffton, and the surrounding Lowcountry. Mediators help parents craft parenting plans that the court can adopt as a consent order. Phone 843-255-5400 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm.
843-255-5400 · Beaufort, SC 29902 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website
OurFamilyWizard at ourfamilywizard.com is the co-parenting app most often ordered by SC family courts in high-conflict cases. Features a tone-meter, expense tracking, and tamper-proof message log admissible in court. Annual subscription with fee waivers for low-income parents.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
TalkingParents at talkingparents.com offers a free basic tier with timestamped messaging plus paid upgrades for calendar and recorded calls. Records download as court-admissible PDFs. Good for SC moms wanting documentation without the OFW price.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
AppClose at appclose.com is a fully free co-parenting app with calendar, messaging, expense tracking, and parenting-plan builder. Less polished than OFW but no subscription, making it accessible for SC mothers with limited budgets. iOS and Android.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
2houses at 2houses.com is a co-parenting platform with a financial reconciliation tool that's particularly useful for SC moms tracking shared expenses like medical bills and extracurriculars. Free trial; subscription for full access. The 'info bank' stores medical records and school logins.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Coparenter at coparenter.com combines a messaging app with on-demand certified mediators who can intervene in real time when a disagreement escalates. Useful for high-conflict co-parents who can't communicate without third-party help. Subscription required.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
UpToParents.org is a free 30-minute online co-parenting course many family courts accept as good-faith effort. Useful for SC mothers entering custody disputes for the first time who want to demonstrate child-focused intent. Free, no account.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Cozi at cozi.com is a free shared family calendar that works well between cooperating co-parents who need to coordinate kid schedules. Color-coded calendars, shared lists, and reminders. Not court-tracked — use only with low-conflict co-parents. Free.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Custody X Change at custodyxchange.com is software that helps mothers draft detailed parenting plans, calculate parenting time for child-support purposes, and generate court-ready PDFs accepted by SC Family Court. Step-by-step interview format. Subscription required.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website