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OurFamilyWizard Reviews Summary
The company faces significant criticism regarding its customer service and the effectiveness of its app. Many users express frustration over ongoing charges for a service they no longer use or were unable to utilize, highlighting a lack of responsiveness from customer support. Additionally, the app is perceived as cumbersome and inadequate for managing high-conflict co-parenting situations, often exacerbating communication issues rather than resolving them. However, some users appreciate the app's organizational features, which help consolidate communication. Overall, the sentiment leans negative, with calls for improved customer care and more user-friendly solutions.
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This platform is a joke. NO ONE looks at it in the court system. At the last hearing for contempt the judge didn't even know how to access the site to read anything, look at the calendar, or access the messages. The lawyers hadn't reviewed the site ever or even prior to the hearing. The hearing was adjourned for the court to learn how to access and review the communications. The court order was violated on just about every stipulation and documented for the past 4 years on this system and the officers of the court don't even attempt to access it. The system is flawed on every level and this is just another money grab forcing additional financial strain on both parties. Court mandated participation at 100.00 for each party adds up for somebody in this system. I'd save the money if this is brought up even for high conflict communication. Google calendars and emails are free and accounts can be created specifically for this purpose. Inviting the government to participate in your family affairs gets you this; and people who go home to their own families without a second thought about yours.
$99 a year for a email system that you cannot print from except for screen shots. My ex uses it as another tool to manipulate and actually threatened to file a motion to enforce if I did not spend the money to buy it. He then believes I have to be his secretary and fill in the calendar for him when I already have two others that I use because of all the people who are involved with my children, as he never helps with appointments and pick ups. He thinks he needs a special calendar. He is trying to force me to use the payment portal but it makes you enter your entire social security number, date of birth and bank account information. There is no app I have ever had that does that, especially with a two star rating. My favorite part is that he added the children, but didn't actually make them put the app on their phones, so I thought I was including them and it was all fake. After reading this, however, it sounds like it would just hurt them more to see how possessive and controlling he really is. I hate it and I do also think they are in bed with the family courts. The cost is unbelievable.
Thanks for your review. I’m sorry to hear that you dislike the OFW app. I want to clarify a few points you mention. You can print records and customizable reports from your OFW account when you’re logged in via the website. This includes messages, calendars, expense histories, sign-in histories, and much more. In regards to registering to the secure e-payments system within the app called OFWpay, this is an optional system for parents to use. Reliafund, our third-party payment processor, requires the information requested from you as you create your OFWpay account. Child accounts on OFW are limited access accounts that can be used for your children to view the calendar and send/receive their own messages. These accounts are entirely optional for your children to use, but for parents, they serve an administrative purpose. For example, when you create new expenses in the Expense Log, you must associate each expense to one or more children. This helps in maintaining a more accurate record of child-related spending. As a parent, you can retrieve the login credentials for each of your children’s accounts anytime if you desire. You can do so when logged in via the website in the My Account section under User Management. OFW is built to help co-parents maintain a more accurate record of any shared parenting communication. If you have any technical questions, our customer support team is available seven days a week. Please don't hesitate to reach out! They can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991. Support hours are as follows: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM CST, Fri: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CST, Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
Worst idea ever it allows my ex to verbally abuse me. I don't pay for it but it still sucks, my ex feels he can say now that I'm being monitored that I was the problem and not being cooperative because he thinks it's monitoring all our activities, I have suggest the judge see documents from it and so has my ex and the courts don't use it
Hi Lindsay - Thanks for reaching out. On OurFamilyWizard, all of your communication and entries are thoroughly documented. This creates a clear and accurate record of your communication history. You can always grant access to your family law attorney and other practitioners to oversee your activity on OFW. You can also download and/or print your entries anytime from the website. If you have any technical questions, our customer support team is available seven days a week. They can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
I use family wizard as court ordered to Help with communication and keeping things civil. It does not alert half the timea message is sent. It does not store and orginize in a manageable manner. Not happy at all with the service.
Hi SJ - Thank you for reaching out! I’m sorry to hear that you have had issues with notifications. We want to ensure that you are receiving notifications and that you are getting the most out of the other tools within the application. Our customer support team is available seven days a week to personally walk you through any aspect of the app and troubleshoot your issue with notifications. They ca be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991. Support hours are as follows: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM CST, Fri: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CST, Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
A great tool that your children can see and relate to adding to the division of families. Now one parent can say to the other how they have to use a parenting app because the other parent is non cooperative. Great Idea to hurt the kids more!
Hi John - Thanks for reaching out. All of your communications on OFW are protected by your username and password, firewalls, and multiple levels of encryption. Allowing children to access the child accounts in your family on OFW is entirely optional and only provides them with limited access to the app. They can only view the calendar, create journal entries, and send and receive their own messages. All of your communication directly with your co-parent is private and not viewable to your children or other family members on OFW. We’d be happy to walk you through how child access works, explain account security settings, and answer any other technical questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our customer support team is available seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991. Support hours are as follows: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM CST, Fri: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CST, Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
Our Family Wizard created more problems between us as parents. Is it really designed to assist with co-parenting? At $100 a year, it's money not well spent. It's a terrible idea, and it is my belief that OFW is in bed with the family court system.
Hi Johnny - I’m sorry to hear that you found OFW to create problems in your co-parenting. We aim to provide co-parents with the best tools to help manage shared schedules, expenses, and other vital family information in one well-documented, secure space. If you have any questions about how to use different aspects of the app, our support team would be happy to assist. They can walk you through how to use various features in the app to help you get the most out of the toolset. Our representatives are available seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
Not user friendly. Has created even more problems with my X-wife.
This application is the poorest excuse of an application, and by far the most expensive one i have purchased. I completely feel ripped of. The true value of this app is at most worth $10.
Try it you will find out yourself. It is far from user friendly. Constantly on phone with support team. YOU DONT GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! Not even close. This fee is almost as bad as a lawyer fee. Wait a lawyer probably paid some kid to design it.
Hi Darin - Thanks for your review. I’m sorry to hear that you have had trouble using the application and don’t feel that you got your money’s worth. We do offer a 30-day money back guarantee in case you wish to discontinue using the app. However, we strive to provide the best customer support to help you get the most out of the application. Our team is available seven days a week to provide personalized support by phone and email. We also offer extensive Tips & Tricks tutorials section where you can find step-by-step instructions for how to use tools throughout both the web and mobile versions of our app. You can find those pages on our website here: https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/knowledge-center/tips-tricks
Website has too frequent of outages. When it is working it is inferior in most every way to free services such as email and google shared calendars and documents.
Thank you for reaching out. I apologize for any inconvenience that any maintenance had caused you but hope that the app works more effectively for you at this time. Compared to free email or calendaring services, OFW offers a higher level of documentation, protecting your entries from being manipulated or deleted. If you ever have technical questions or experience any issues using the website, please reach out to our dedicated support team. We are available seven days a week at [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 755-9991. Support hours are as follows: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM CST, Fri: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CST, Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
I called in because the calendar showed a blank. One schedule going to the 5th and the new schedule starting the 6th. It actually shows the wrong Parents time on the mini calendar. Called into support. Support explained that the update had to be done a day in advance. I pointed out that the schedule was updated more then 24 hours/1 day in advance. It was done 35 hours in advance. The agent then started trying to belittle me when I said simply shouldn't the existing schedule at least continue until the new change takes place. They then said I could write and share notes, but as every parent should know a parent time schedule has to be written in advance and changes will happen to your schedule all the time, and your court order may not state a mandatory 24 hour change notification. Asked to talk to a manager, they said they would send me to their voice mail and they would call back. I have called back in since and asked about the call back. I still have not been called back. It's been multiple calls and now more then 6 months. If you have an issue you would be better off to buy a different product.
Thanks for reaching out. When creating a parenting schedule, any new schedule you create must begin at least one day ahead from the date you create it. To note any details about your parenting time for today or on dates that have passed, you can create a Journal entry to document this information on the calendar. Journals can be shared with your co-parent or kept private for your own records.
Horrible service and customer support.We stopped using the app for about a year and they still recently charged my account for another year's service. The app is horrible and when I contacted customer support for a refund, they were horrible as well. Heres what they said:
"Our terms and conditions are very clear when you sign up. When we receive a dispute such as the one you are suggesting, we explain that to the credit card company as well. Thank you, ShaleenCustomer Support"
Hi Manuel - While auto-renew for subscriptions is an optional feature we provide, we make sure to email our customers three days before the auto-renew would take place to give them a chance to update their settings in case they don’t wish to auto-renew. Even if the account is renewed and you wish to cancel, we offer refunds within 30 days of purchasing a subscription. We do not offer partial refunds after that time has passed. You can read about this on our Terms & Conditions and our refund policy page which can be viewed here: https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/plans-and-pricing/refund-policy
I am using this app the same way as I would with google account. The only difference I have to pay $ do the other parties request during court.
For 4 years now we had week off/on and the only communication needed was for medical/dental appointment notice and uploaded documents following visits. The other thing was notice for pick up time/location.
I am not saying this app is bad or good. I know in my situation I will still refuse respond to any negative response from the other parent. Going back and forth with undermining decisions or pointless comments can never be solved by an app especially when the other party disagrees with everything.
Thanks for your review. Unlike services like traditional email and free online calendars, OFW offers a high level of documentation for all of your communications and entries. This eliminates the risk of your correspondence being manipulated or deleted, and it allows you to easily report on your co-parenting communications in case you need to share that information with your lawyer. Additionally, OFW is equipped with tools specifically designed for co-parenting communication. For instance, the OFW calendar has a built-in parenting schedule function that allows you to input your routine and sets it apart from other entries like events for doctor’s visits or other appointments. If a parenting time swap is called for, the Trade/Swap tool facilitates these requests in such a way that reduces confusion and keeps the details of the swap request as clear as possible. You can learn more about the complete OFW toolset by reviewing the Tips & Tricks section of our website or by simply reaching out to our dedicated Customer Support team. We’re available seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991. Support hours are as follows: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM CST, Fri: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CST, Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
OFW has been a godsend for me and having to deal with my high conflict ex. I love the fact that all communications now go through OFW. I was at a point that I hated to use my phone because the ex would spam text me and text me about nothing and send multiple e-mails about 1 topic. He even went so far as to create fake texts and fake screen shots that he tried to use in court. Well, with OFW, there is no more of that or any authentication issues. Also, there is no more disjointed communications between texts and e-mail that becomes cumbersome and impossible for legal professionals to put together (not to mention expensive to read through). All communications are in one place. I also like the time-stamp feature of when messages were sent and when they were read. I was accused of not communicating. Well, that argument is over. I, along with the parenting coordinator can see each and every message, when expenses were communicated and when activities were scheduled.
I think that when OFW is used with a parenting coordinator, abusive patterns can be more easily established, proven, and dealt with in quick manner. It's all in writing. Best $119 I spend each year.
Hello - Thanks for your review! We’re happy to hear that OFW has helped you to keep your communication well-documented and all in one place. We’re also glad to hear that you’ve found it an effective tool to use with your parenting coordinator! We appreciate your comments, and if you ever have any questions or feedback for us, please contact our support team. They can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
It's a waste of time. Email is email. People like to get court orders for ofw and then if you don't check email for a week you get threats because your "not following a court order". No one cares about ofw. Someone here already stated you can't "Change" the user. Ofw won't fix the co-parenting with a narcissist issue.
Hello - Compared to traditional email, OFW will thoroughly document your communication and protect it indefinitely from being edited or deleted. You can also easily download and print entries on OFW to share with practitioners or help you prepare for court if need be. If you have any technical questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
Bottom line, this program is a way for lawyers and judges to feel good about themselves by referring high conflict people to a program to solve their problems. The real problem is the user(s) and not what program you are using. No one monitors the conversations and no one looks at it in court. Unless you have something in writing that would hold them in contempt of court, there is no consequence or way to stop them from being a jerk. Lord knows you can't include 'Dont' be a jerk' in an agreement and no one cares how much of a jerk the other person is and a program won't change it. Also, the program is pretty archaic in its features and capabilities. Save your money on this 'Feel Good' program and do something that really makes you feel good... like a massage or a pedicure.
Hi Whitney - Thanks for your comments. OFW will thoroughly document all communication between co-parents within the app, and that information will remain protected indefinitely so that you can always retrieve accurate records. You can also download and print free PDF reports of your communication and other entries within OFW. If you are not working with your attorney or other family law or mental health practitioners directly on OFW, our reporting tools allow you to retrieve the information you need from your account to share with your practitioners or keep it for your own records. We strive to provide the best technology to help you maintain your co-parenting communication, and we greatly appreciate your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team with any detailed feedback you may have for how you think we can improve our app to make it work even better for you. Our team is available seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
This system is way too expensive, and talkingparents.com is much easier to use, search, print... etc in addition to being free.
Hi John - Thanks for your review. OFW offers a full suite of tools including shared calendars, documented parenting time modifications, expense tracking, secure e-payments for reimbursements, family vital information and file storage, secure journal entries, accurate sign-in histories, free access for your legal or mental health practitioners, and free mobile apps and notifications. OFW also offers secure messaging with the additional advantage of ToneMeter, an optional add-on that will alert you of any emotionally-charged phrases in messages you compose and give you a chance to adjust your tone before sending. Additionally, OFW offers free PDF downloads and printouts for all entries in your account. OFW will never display advertisements throughout the application, and users will never run into hidden fees. Our dedicated customer support team is available seven days a week to walk you through any aspect of the application you’d like to learn more about and receive your feedback, so please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team can be reached by email at [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 755-9991. Support hours are as follows: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM CST, Fri: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CST, Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.
I see lots of poor reviews here, but that has not been my experience. We are all here due to high conflict cases of course, but I also had a Protective Order for harassment (via email, text and in person) as well as a history of domestic violence.
Here's how this App has helped...
1. Toning down the abuse.
No, it does not "prevent" harassment/abusive language. No human, no Judge and no app can stop a person from speaking (and choosing to be abusive). Think about it... even a Protective Order (i. E. Restraining Order) does not prevent a person from speaking to you. However, they will be arrested for doing so.
NOTHING can stop a person from communicating to you (think: angry driver flipping you the bird - you can't unsee that).
The Tone Meter feature is mediocre, but the point of it is to call attention to potentially abusive words to get the person to think twice. No regular email platform will do that.
Bottom line, the Judge knows your ex is being forewarned before hitting "send". This speaks volumes. It really doesn't matter if the Tone Meter is a fantastic feature or not. It sets the stage.
2. Records. My ex constantly claimed not to "get my messages" for anything that inconvenienced him (sick children on exchange days, medical reimbursement requests, etc).
Now he is aware the legal system can see his lying. We see when he reads messages. We also see when he refuses to read messages. Both can be equally bad for him in Court.
3. The payment feature. This would actually be useful if I were dealing with a normal human. Both parties have to compliantly use the features. Example - I have paid my 1/2 of expenses, and he owes me 1/2 for expenses. However, he refuses to mark my paid expenses as "paid", just to be an $%#.
This throws the register off and it's very complicated to tell who owes what. I just bust out my Excel. So if you have an ex-bonehead like I do, this feature will not be helpful.
Then again I have record of continued refusal to cooperate. This was harder to prove with regular email.
It's never easy. Your ex is free to be a complete jerk which is unfortunate for your children and the elevation of humanity. However, you get to pick how you behave and keep working on that (and forgive yourself for the days when you're not);)
Best of luck to you.
Thanks for your review! We’re so glad to hear that OFW has been helpful to you in maintaining accurate communication records. If we can ever be of assistance or if you’d like to share more about your experience using OFW, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly! Our dedicated support team is available seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
We were suggested to use OFW by a mediator who clearly has never used it before. It's the same thing as the free calendar and email program that comes with your phone. The site is constantly trying to sell you their upgrades from their site. The app on your phone is glitchy. I don't understand why you would use this and add all the extra work and cost to something that can be done with your phone simply and natively. Unfortunately for us now that we agreed to use it there is a court order saying that we have to use it and getting the court order changed is cost prohibitive.
Hi Frank - Thanks for your feedback. An OFW parent subscription provides you with access our four main features, mobile apps for iOS and Android, PDF reports, and more. We offer two upgrades that are optional to add to your subscription: ToneMeter and additional MyFiles storage space. We do not display advertisements throughout parent accounts, and any service upgrades are always entirely optional. If you experience any technical difficulties using your account, please contact our customer support team for assistance. Our dedicated support team is available seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
My attorney had initially suggested, which I set up, using a dedicated gmail account and Google calendar. However, my ex-husband, whom I divorced because of domestic violence, stated he was not receiving e-mails or notifications and was unable to view anything on Google calendar. He works in tech support. He also claimed he was unable to log in to Our Family Wizard, and was attempting to continue all communication via lawyers (we have 2 no contact orders). I could not afford that. When I mentioned to my lawyer starting contempt proceedings for not using the court-ordered communication tool, he logged in that same day and we had no more problems. He still chooses not to reply to many communications, but it is impossible for him to claim I have not sent them or he has not received them. I am so grateful for this app, which allows me to preserve my sanity while being forced to co-parent with an individual who seems to have many sociopathic tendencies. If you have an ex who is willing to co-parent and use a free option like Google Calendars, you are lucky. If you are unlucky like me, Our Family Wizard is a lifesaver. Thank you very much!
Hi Jamie - Thanks for your review! We are glad to hear that OFW has been a useful tool for you in documenting your co-parenting communication. If we can ever be of assistance or if you’d like to share more about your experience using OFW, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our dedicated support team. Our team is available seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991.
The concept of a dedicated site for messaging, calendars, and info (contact for doctor, school, insurance, etc) is solid. However, the execution is extremely poor. OFW would be right at home in the 1990s hosted on GeoCities.com (complete with an animated "under construction" gif).
OFW's business model relies on judges ordering litigants to pay the website's fee and utilize it for the 18 years it takes to raise a child. However, it feels like OFW has failed to update their UI even a single time over the last decade+.
Besides the UI, the site is glitchy. Off hand:
1) The feature that notifies you via text/email of new messages works about 40% of the time.
2) Despite a dropdown menu to select a time zone, it only offers "America/Chicago."
3) Messages are not easily searchable.
4) Creating an ongoing thread for a single topic is difficult (for instance, if the other party doesn't reply to a message, there is no feature to follow up and include the prior message which lacks a response).
Generally, time has just past by this website as it stood still. OFW seems to view this venture as passive income. A dedicated gmail account complete with shared calendars would be easier, have more features, be less expensive, and consistently work.
Alas, for folks who are not tech-savvy (read: can barely use email and still have a hotmail account... but not in an ironic/hipster way), this website offers a minimal value. It tells your sent messages have been read and when the other party last logged into their OFW account.
I'm amazed OFW is still in business. They are probably limping along because very few people want to go back to court to modify their parenting order but nobody knows how much it sucks until they are ordered to sign up. OFW is a mess.
I like the concept but very poorly executed. It wouldn't surprise me if their official business model predicted their imminent demise and they've already voted to not invest funds for improvements or maintenance.
Do some research and find an alternative that meets your needs. Lots of value in this idea and the market seems open for competition.
Hello - Thank you for reaching out. You will always be notified about new activity in our account immediately if you select “On Action” for your email and text message notifications. Push notifications via the OFW mobile apps for iOS and Android will also notify you immediately every single time you receive a new entry to view or other activity is waiting for you to view on OFW. The factor that might affect the receipt of your email, text, or push notifications is the reliability of your internet connection and/or data for your mobile device.
The timezone drop-down menu is related to the address that you have associated with your account, and you are automatically provided with the option that relates to that address. You'll only see “America/Chicago” as your timezone option if the address you provided is in a state located solely in the Central time zone.
You can search for messages by keyword using the search bar at the top-right corner of the Message Board in the full version of the website. It will search both the subject lines and body text of your messages and show you the results of your search based on the keyword you entered. I understand that sending a reply to a message you sent in OFW may help you to send follow up messages to your co-parent if they did not reply to your original message. In this situation, you can send a new message that refers back to the message you had previously sent. Your co-parent’s first viewed history for any message you send to them will always be maintained, as will the history of any replies made to your messages. You can also easily download and print your messages to share with your family law practitioners.
OFW is frequently recommended by practitioners and ordered by family courts across the U.S. and Canada. While many parents may use OFW by court order, many others find and choose to use this toolset entirely on their own. Unlike free services, OFW is built to keep your information highly secure and preserves an accurate record of your communication indefinitely. You’ll never run into hidden fees to access or print detailed reports of your information. You’ll also never be presented with advertisements as you use your account, which may happen with free services.
Our development team continuously works on maintaining and updating both our web and mobile applications, and I will pass along your comments for consideration as we continue to update our technology.
Our dedicated customer support team is available seven days a week and is ready to answer your technical questions and walk you through any of the app’s features. They can be reached at [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 755-9991.
I contacted this dog and pony show to ask if they provided payment plans or could offer relief for those of us that can't afford the service. Yes, it's only $100 per year, but for some of us that struggle to make ends meet, that payment is difficult if not impossible. This person named "Mitch" said they could offer me a payment plan for two months at 49.50. How does that help someone who struggles? I think they should look hard at their business practice and offer options so people who have a tight budget can use the service.
Hi Joe - Thanks for reaching out. We understand that not every parent will have the financial means to purchase the annual subscription. As such, we offer a scholarship program to provide discounted or free subscriptions to parents who qualify. You can find our scholarship application plus instructions for how to qualify and apply here: https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/plans-and-pricing/scholarships
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Hi, An - I’m sorry to hear that you feel our system is flawed. We’d like to know more about how you feel we could improve our system and make it easier for you and the courts that recommend it to use. Our customer support team is available seven days a week to receive your feedback and answer any technical questions you may have. They can be reached seven days a week by email at [email protected] or by phone at toll-free (866) 755-9991. Support hours are as follows: Mon - Thurs: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM CST, Fri: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM CST, Sat - Sun: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.