A complete guide to setting up CoParent Share — expenses, shared calendar, court-admissible messaging, document vault, and baby journal.
👤
Step 01
Create your account
Sign up in under 2 minutes
Create a free account with your email address. No credit card needed. You get full access to all features for 30 days.
What to do
1
Go to coparentshare.com and click Start free trial
2
Enter your name, email and password
3
Check your inbox and click the confirmation link
4
Sign in — your account is ready
💡 Tip
Use the same email address your co-parent already knows — it makes inviting easier.
🤝
Step 02
Invite your co-parent
One link, one click
Send your co-parent an invitation link. Once they accept, you share a household — both parents see the same data in real time across expenses, calendar, messages, documents, and journal.
What to do
1
Click Parents in the top navigation
2
Click Invite co-parent
3
Enter their email address and click Send invite
4
They receive an email and click Accept invitation
5
You are now connected in a shared household
💡 Tip
Your co-parent does not need to be signed up yet — the invite link creates their account automatically.
📂
Step 03
Set up categories and children
Takes 5 minutes, saves hours
Add your children and create expense categories. These keep your expenses organised and make split rules automatic. Children are also used to tag calendar events and journal entries.
What to do
1
Click Children and add each child's name
2
Click Categories and add expense types like Medical, Education, Sport
3
Use the suggested categories or create your own
4
You can always add more later
💡 Tip
Categories do not have to be perfect from day one. Start with 4–5 and add more as you go.
🧠
Step 04
Create expense rules
Set once, split automatically forever
Expense rules apply your agreed split percentages automatically to every new expense. No more negotiating the split each time.
What to do
1
Click Expense Rules in the top navigation
2
Click + Category rule to set a split for a category (e.g. Medical: 50/50)
3
Click + Children rule to set a split for a specific child
4
Your co-parent is notified of new rules
5
Rules apply automatically to every matching expense from now on
💡 Tip
Category rules take priority over child rules when both match. Common splits: Medical 50/50 · Education 60/40 · Sport 70/30.
💸
Step 05
Log shared expenses
Add an expense in seconds
Every time you pay a shared expense, log it immediately. The split is calculated automatically based on your rules.
What to do
1
Click the + Add expense button on the Summary page
2
Enter the description, amount, date and category
3
Select which child the expense is for (optional)
4
Attach a photo of the receipt (optional but recommended)
5
Click Save — the expense appears for both parents instantly
💡 Tip
Log expenses the moment you pay — waiting until later leads to disputes about amounts and what was agreed.
✅
Step 06
Settle and approve
Both parents agree before anything is paid
When you are ready to settle the balance, one parent requests a settlement. The other reviews every expense and either approves or disputes it with a reason.
What to do
1
On the Summary page, click Settle when you are ready
2
Review the outstanding expenses and the amount owed
3
Click Request settlement to send it to your co-parent
4
Your co-parent reviews the breakdown and clicks Approve
5
The balance clears and both parents receive a record
💡 Tip
Settling monthly prevents large balances building up and keeps the financial relationship clean.
🔁
Step 07
Set up recurring expenses
Set once, auto-generated every cycle
School fees, music lessons, sport registrations, and medical subscriptions repeat every week, fortnight, month, or term. Set them up once and CoParent Share creates them automatically.
What to do
1
Click + Add expense and fill in the details as normal
2
Toggle on "This expense repeats"
3
Choose the frequency: Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly, Termly, or Annually
4
Optionally set an end date (e.g. end of school year)
5
Click Save — the expense will auto-generate on every due date
6
Your co-parent gets notified each time a new recurring expense is created
7
Manage all recurring expenses under Dashboard → Recurring
💡 Tip
If the amount changes (e.g. school fees go up), CoParent Share flags it for manual review rather than auto-approving. You stay in control.
📅
Step 08
Use the shared calendar
One schedule — both parents always in sync
The shared custody calendar gives both parents a single real-time view of custody periods, school events, medical appointments, and holidays. No more "I didn't know about that."
What to do
1
Click Calendar in the top navigation
2
Click any day to add an event
3
Choose the event type: Custody, Appointment, School, Holiday, or General
4
Tag the event to a specific child if needed
5
Click Save — both parents see it immediately
6
Both parents can add, view, and stay in sync on the same calendar
💡 Tip
Add custody handover events so both parents always have clarity on who has the children each day — no room for confusion.
💬
Step 09
Message with a permanent record
Court-admissible from day one
All messages sent through CoParent Share are immutable — nothing can be edited or deleted after sending. Every message carries a verified server timestamp. Export a full transcript as a PDF at any time.
What to do
1
Click Messages in the top navigation
2
Type your message and click Send
3
Messages are delivered instantly and locked — no edits, no deletions
4
Both parents see read receipts
5
To export: click Export for Court to download a timestamped PDF transcript
6
Use this transcript for mediation, solicitors, or family court if needed
💡 Tip
Keep co-parenting communication inside the app rather than SMS. If a dispute ever reaches court, your message history is already in an admissible format.
📁
Step 10
Store documents in the vault
Both parents, always in sync
The Document Vault is a shared secure storage space for all important co-parenting documents. Either parent can upload; both can access instantly from any device.
What to do
1
Click Documents in the top navigation
2
Click + Upload document
3
Select the file (PDF, JPG, PNG supported)
4
Choose a category: Parenting Plan, Court Order, School, Medical, Financial, or General
5
Add a short description so both parents know what the document is
6
Click Upload — both parents can view and download it immediately
💡 Tip
Upload your parenting plan and any court orders first. These are the documents you will reach for most often — medical appointments, school enrolments, travel consent.
📓
Step 11
Track baby and child activities
Shared journal — both households in sync
The Baby Journal lets both parents track feeding, sleep, diapers, medicine doses, growth measurements, milestones, and handover notes. Whatever happens at one parent's house, the other parent can see immediately.
What to do
1
Click Journal in the top navigation
2
Choose a tab: Activity, Health, Growth, Milestones, or Handover
3
Click Add entry and fill in the details
4
Tag the entry to a specific child
5
Click Save — your co-parent sees it instantly
6
Use Handover notes to leave a summary when transferring the children
💡 Tip
The medicine log is especially useful — if one parent gives a dose of Panadol, the other parent sees it immediately and won't accidentally double-dose.
📄
Step 12
Export statements
PDF and CSV for any period
Export a certified expense statement for any time period — monthly, yearly, by child, or a custom date range. Ready for legal, financial, or personal records.
What to do
1
Click Statements in the top navigation
2
Choose Monthly, Yearly, By Child or Custom Range
3
For Custom Range, pick your From and To dates or use a quick preset
4
Click Export PDF or Export CSV
5
The file downloads with a timestamp and full expense breakdown
💡 Tip
Statements include the date and time each expense was added, who paid, the split percentage, and the settlement status.
Quick reference
The 12 steps at a glance
👤
Create your account
Step 01
🤝
Invite your co-parent
Step 02
📂
Set up categories and children
Step 03
🧠
Create expense rules
Step 04
💸
Log shared expenses
Step 05
✅
Settle and approve
Step 06
🔁
Set up recurring expenses
Step 07
📅
Use the shared calendar
Step 08
💬
Message with a permanent record
Step 09
📁
Store documents in the vault
Step 10
📓
Track baby and child activities
Step 11
📄
Export statements
Step 12
FAQ
Common questions
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