Parenting Tools Comparison Australia: amica, Split Ways, Custody X Change, and OurFamilyWizard
The Landscape of Digital Parenting Tools in Australia
Separating parents in Australia now have several digital tools claiming to simplify parenting agreements, custody schedules, and co-parenting communication. But these tools serve very different purposes, and choosing the wrong one wastes both money and time at a moment when neither is abundant.
Here's how the main options compare for Australian parents — what each actually does, what it costs, and where the gaps are.
amica (Government-Backed)
What it is: Developed by National Legal Aid and funded by the Australian Government, amica is an online platform that helps separating couples divide property and create parenting agreements.
Cost: Free for the initial evaluation. $297 for a generated parenting agreement. $990 for property consent orders.
What it does well: amica walks both parties through a structured questionnaire and uses guided logic to produce a written parenting agreement. For cooperative couples who broadly agree on the arrangements, it's a low-cost way to formalise a plan without hiring a lawyer.
The critical limitation: amica can produce parenting agreements (non-binding parenting plans) and property consent orders, but it cannot generate parenting consent orders. If you want enforceable parenting arrangements — the kind that carry the weight of a court order — amica can't get you there. You'll need to take the parenting agreement it produces and separately file it as a consent order with the FCFCOA.
Best for: Amicable separations where both parents are willing to use the platform together and don't need enforceability beyond a written agreement.
Split Ways
What it is: An Australian legal tech company that prepares court-ready consent order documents.
Cost: $1,199 to $2,399 depending on complexity.
What it does well: Split Ways produces formatted documents that are designed for filing with the FCFCOA. The platform handles both property and parenting consent orders and includes a lawyer review step.
The limitation: At $1,199 minimum, it's significantly more expensive than a DIY approach. The platform focuses heavily on document preparation — it doesn't provide strategic guidance on what arrangements to propose or how to handle a co-parent who won't cooperate.
Best for: Parents who've already agreed on the arrangements and want professionally formatted consent order documents without paying full lawyer rates.
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Custody X Change
What it is: A US-based custody schedule builder and parenting plan generator with Australian users.
Cost: Bronze plan $72/year. Gold plan $144/year. Family plan $288/year.
What it does well: Custody X Change has the most detailed calendar-building tools of any platform. You can visually map out parenting schedules, calculate exact time percentages, and generate reports showing how time is divided across school terms, holidays, and special occasions.
The limitation: The platform is designed primarily for US family law. Template language, legal references, and default terminology reflect American custody concepts ("visitation," "physical custody") rather than Australian terms ("parenting time," "living arrangements," "spending time with"). You'll need to rewrite the output to fit Australian legal requirements. The mobile app also requires sideloading outside standard app stores.
Best for: Parents who want a visual scheduling tool to plan and track parenting time — useful as a planning aid, but not a document you'd file with an Australian court without significant modification.
OurFamilyWizard
What it is: A co-parenting communication and calendar platform, with an Australian-specific version.
Cost: $110 to $299.88 per parent per year (up to $599/year per household, since both parents need accounts).
What it does well: OurFamilyWizard creates a structured, documented communication channel between parents. Messages are timestamped and uneditable, making them useful evidence in court proceedings. The expense-tracking and calendar features help manage the day-to-day logistics of shared parenting.
The limitation: It's expensive for what it does — especially since both parents must pay separately. It's a communication and tracking tool, not a document preparation platform. It won't help you draft a parenting plan or prepare consent orders. And it only works if both parents use it consistently.
Best for: High-conflict situations where a documented, structured communication record is valuable — particularly when a court has ordered parents to use a specific communication platform.
What None of These Tools Replace
None of these platforms provide legal advice. None of them help you understand what arrangements the court would consider appropriate for your child's specific age and circumstances. And none of them walk you through the strategic decisions — like whether to propose a parenting plan or go straight to consent orders, how to structure holiday rotations, or what to do when the other parent won't engage.
The South Australia Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide fills that gap — covering the full process from initial separation through to filing consent orders, with worksheets, schedule templates, and decision frameworks designed specifically for the Australian family law system.
Get Your Free South Australia — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist
Download the South Australia — Parenting Plan Starter Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.