TalkingParents

Your Frequently Asked Questions

General

  1. Sign in to your account
  2. Select the icon with your initials in the top-right of the screen
  3. Choose Account Settings from the drop-down menu
  4. Under Subscription, select your Account Type
  5. Choose a payment plan and follow the instructions to enter your payment method

You will not be able to start communicating through our service until the other parent creates an account of their own. Once the other parent signs up, our service will match your account with theirs and activate them. You will receive an automatic email notification from our system when that happens.

As far as we are concerned, there is no right or wrong way to use TalkingParents. We encourage parents, lawyers, and courts to be creative and use TalkingParents however they like to fit the circumstances of each case or relationship best.

Before your account is matched with your co-parent, you can update any of the information that you provided at the time of sign up including data entered for your co-parent. You can also send an email invitation to join TalkingParents. Sign in to your account online to edit this information.

Once your account is matched, you will be unable to edit or change any of the information associated with your co-parent's account. However, you can still update your account information at any time in the My Info area once you log in.

Our system occasionally requires a human administrator to verify a match before the accounts are activated. This action can cause a delay of up to several hours, depending on the circumstances.

If you believe the other parent has signed up, but your accounts have not been activated after one day, then please Contact Us. 

Your username is your complete email address. Please be sure to enter your address entirely and correctly each time.

Passwords are case-sensitive. If you are still unable to sign in, please try to reset your password. If you do not receive the password reset email right away, please double check your email’s spam and junk folders. Also, be sure to add noreply@talkingparents.com to your email’s contacts list before trying again.

The best way to share your communications with a third party is to email them a complete copy of your record in PDF format. You can do this directly from the Records section of our site.

Parents on the TalkingParents Free plan can sign into their account online at no charge. A Standard or Premium Plan is required to access the mobile app on iPhone or Android.

Currently, the only way to see when a calendar event has been viewed, edited, or deleted is to obtain a copy of your Calendar Record. You can do this anytime by signing in to your account online with any web browser, including the one on your phone. Navigate to Records -> Calendar Record.

Unfortunately, like any other form of digital, written communication, we cannot prevent our users from sharing their account information with others. We also can not accurately pinpoint where a user is accessing our service from or what device they are using. This kind of digital data is not always accurate and is easy to manipulate.

If you think the other parent may be allowing someone else to post messages for them, then we recommend you create a new message addressing your concerns and requesting that the other parent change their account password and cut off access to any other users.

If you think the other parent may be acting in violation of a court order, then we recommend that you consult with an attorney or the court itself.

Once a message is successfully posted, both users have equal and immediate access to it. Messages are not really “sent” to the other parent in the same way they are with email. You can think of TalkingParents as a shared whiteboard that each parent can write on. TalkingParents maintains the whiteboard, so both parents have equal access to the exact same record at all times.

We do send an email notification when a parent has a new message to view, but that reminder does not contain any part of the message itself. You will know when the other parent first views your messages because that view information will be logged within your message even if they do not post a reply.

  1. Go to the Sign In page
  2. Under the Sign In button, click on Forgot Email or Password? 
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions
If you do not have a phone number saved to your account or no longer have access to the phone number or email address associated with your account, please Contact Us, and we will help you regain access to your account.

  1. Sign in to your account.
  2. Select the icon with your initials in the top-right of the screen
  3. Choose Account Settings from the drop-down menu
  4. Select Edit next to Time Zone/Date Format
  5. Choose your time zone from the drop-down menu
  6. Click Save

TalkingParents is based in Florida, United States. Our website and Messaging service are available to users all over the world. Users can access our website from any internet-connected device. App availability is dependent upon the Apple and Google Play Store in your country.

We do not ship Printed Records internationally. Accountable Calling℠ is available in the US and Canada.

Accountable PaymentsSM

To send a payment to your co-parent, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Payments section in TalkingParents or within the app under My Communications.
  2. Select the Pay or Request button at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Enter the amount you are sending and any notes you may have in the comment section.
  4. Choose the Pay button.
  5. Select which bank account you want to use to send the money.
  6. Select Pay.
  7. Select the Confirm your Payment button.

To add a new bank account or replace your current default bank account, select the Bank Icon with the gear in the Payments tab, then follow the steps below:

  1. Select the + Add a Bank Account button
  2. Search for your bank or credit union.
  3. Login using your bank or credit union details to connect the account.
  4. Enter a nickname for the account.

 

To send a payment request to your co-parent, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Payments section in TalkingParents or within the app.
  2. Select the Pay or Request button at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Enter the amount you are requesting and a notes for your co-parent in the comment section.
  4. Choose the Request button.
  5. Select which bank account you want to use to receive the money when your co-parent responds to the request.
  6. Select Confirm Request.
You can cancel any unanswered or unpaid Requests that you have initiated. 

To get started with Accountable Payments℠, follow the steps below.
 
1. Verify Your Identity

Complete the Verify Identity form in Accountable Payments. This confirmation process can be immediate or ask for additional information. If additional information is required, you will be prompted to complete a more detailed identification form.

2. Add a bank account.
  • Select the + Add a Bank Account button
  • Search for your bank or credit union.
  • Login using your bank or credit union details to connect the account.
  • Enter a nickname for the account.

The Dwolla balance does not reflect your bank account balance. The amount displayed shows how much money is currently being held or moved by Dwolla during Payment processing. 
 

Accountable CallingSM

Only users with a Premium plan can start a call. Free and Standard users can receive calls.

If you are a Premium user and cannot place a call, ensure that your phone number has been verified and you have Recorded Calling enabled in your Account Settings. If you are still unable to place a call, please Contact Us.

All TalkingParents users with a verified phone number and enabled Recorded Calling can receive calls.

Premium users can place a call. Premium users receive 120 minutes a month. Additional minutes can be purchased from the web or mobile apps. View Pricing for more details

The TalkingParents Accountable Calling feature only supports numbers from within the United States* and Canada that begin with +1.
 
*Alaskan numbers are billed differently, please Contact Us for details.
 

  1. Sign in to your account
  2. Go to Account Settings
  3. Select Phone Number and enter your mobile number (number must be able to receive SMS text messages). You will receive a verification code
  4. Enter the verification code and select OK.

In the mobile app:

  1. Navigate to My Communications in the menu and select Calls. Select the “plus” icon on the top right corner.
  2. Select Phone Call to begin your call.
  3. In the pop-up window, select Confirm Call. TalkingParents will call your verified phone number and your co-parent will receive an SMS text message to let them know a call is coming. When your co-parent consents to receive the call, you will both be connected.

Mobile App

  1. Navigate to Calls
  2. Press the "+ Clock" icon in the top right
  3. Choose the number of minutes you wish to purchase
    • On Apple- Follow the prompts and Sign In to your Apple ID to complete the purchase
    • On Android- Choose or Add a payment method, then Confirm Purchase

Web App
  1. Choose your initials on the icon on the top right of the screen
  2. Select the Add Minutes option from the dropdown menu
  3. Select the number of minutes you would like to purchase
  4. This option is also available from the Account Settings page.

  1. In the mobile app, select Calls from the sidebar menu.
  2. Choose any Completed Call (Messages cannot be started from Incomplete calls).
  3. Select Create Message on the bottom-left of the screen.
  4. Enter a Subject and Message, then select Send Message.

Changes to your Calling settings will be reflected in the Calling Record.

  1. Sign in to your account 
  2. In the menu, go to My Account
  3. Select Account Settings from the drop-down menu
  4. Toggle the button next to Recorded Calling

Account Setup and Info

Watch this video to learn how to create an account.

Or follow the instructions below:

  1. Click Create Account on the top-right of any page of the website.
  2. Enter your email address.
  3. Verify your email address by entering the 4-digit code sent to your email. If you do not see it in your inbox, please verify your Promotions or Spam.
  4. Enter your first and last name, then create a password for your account.
  5. Invite your Co-Parent to join TalkingParents via text or email (You can SKIP this step).
  6. Complete the registration form and click OK.

Please note, you can not start communicating through TalkingParents until your co-parent creates an account.

Pending Match means that your account has not been matched with your co-parent and activated. Watch this video to learn more about matching accounts.

You can not start communicating through TalkingParents until your co-parent creates an account. Once the other parent signs up, your accounts will be matched, and you will receive an email notification that your account is activated and you can begin communicating.

If you know your co-parent's email address or mobile phone number you can send them an Invitation Code to easily match with your account. However, your other parent does not need to receive an invitation from us to sign up. They can create an account without an email invitation.

To send the invitation via email:

  1. Sign in to your TalkingParents account.
  2. Select Send invitation to co-parent.
  3. Choose Email.
  4. Enter your co-parent's email address.
  5. Hit Send.

Your co-parent will receive an email with your Invitation Code to enter to match with you.


To send the invitation via mobile phone number:

  1. Sign in to your TalkingParents account.
  2. Select Send invitation to co-parent.
  3. Choose Text.
  4. Enter your co-parent's mobile phone number (Phone number must be able to receive text messages).
  5. Hit Send.

Your co-parent will receive a text message with your Invitation Code to enter to match with you.

Currently, all TalkingParents accounts are limited to just two participants for one to one communication. We plan to expand our service to allow for more than two participants on a single record, but for now, once you obtain your PDF Record, it can easily be emailed or printed and shared with another party.

Unfortunately, there isn’t anything we can do to compel the other parent to sign up. If you are permitted to have such contact, then you may want to try reminding the other parent to sign up.
 
If you think the other parent may be acting in violation of a court order by not signing up, then we recommend you consult with a qualified local attorney or the court itself.

If you need to communicate with different co-parents about different children, you are welcome to create as many TalkingParents accounts as you need. 

However, you will need to use a different email address for each account.

If you have a court requirement to check your account at certain times or intervals, then to be safe, you may want to create a new message called “Checking In” and inform the other parent that you will be checking your account per the court order.

If there are no new messages for you to view or you do not need to post any messages for the other parent, then you can simply send a message to document your check-in. Each message that is sent records the time and date it is submitted and should serve as proof of your compliance with any court order to use our service.

Due to the secure nature of our service, we cannot delete user information or user accounts. However, when a parent no longer wants or needs to use our service—either permanently or temporarily—we recommend taking the following actions:

  1. Create a New Message to inform the other parent that you plan to stop using TalkingParents. This message provides notice and documentation of your decision.
  2. Navigate to the Email Notifications option in the menu and turn the New Message notifications Off, which will ensure that you stop receiving message notification emails.
  3. Stop using TalkingParents.
By following these steps, you will be able to access your complete record at any time in the future if you need to. You can also quickly begin using our service in the future if you change your mind.

Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to compel a parent to use our service in a constructive, positive manner or to abide by a court order. We always recommend parents first attempt to address any specific concerns with the other parent through our service, thereby documenting their attempts to be cooperative and resolve issues.

If you think the other parent may be acting in violation of a court order, we suggest you contact your attorney.

Plans and Subscriptions

Access to our iPhone and Android mobile apps require a Standard or Premium account. However, if you do not want to pay for an upgraded account, you can still sign into your account for Free online from any internet browser.

There is no registration or fee to use the Free plan. The only time Free users need to pay is when they order Records or set up Text Notifications.

Most users only need to purchase records when they are involved in legal proceedings. Please see our Pricing for more details.

Please see Pricing for details.

All payments and purchases are final and non-refundable unless there is an unresolvable issue or error with our service. 
 
If an issue or error is related to the user’s device, browser, internet connection, email provider, program, app, printer, or any other variable beyond our control, then a refund will not be given. If the user cannot or will not provide adequate proof of the issue or error, then the user will not be entitled to a refund.
 
Any payments processed by the Apple App Store, including Standard and Premium account payments, must be canceled through the user’s Apple account. We do not have access to users' Apple account, and therefore, we cannot cancel these payments or issue any refund for these fees. Refund requests for payments made through the Apple App Store must be submitted directly to Apple.

If you upgraded your account through our website, you can change your payment method anytime.

  1. Sign in to your account
  2. Navigate to the My Account section
  3. Choose Account Settings from the drop-down menu
  4. Under Subscription, select your Payment Method
  5. Click Add a Payment Method
  6. Enter your card information
  7. Select Add Payment Method, then Save

If you upgraded through our website, your cancel your paid account anytime.

  1. Sign in to your account
  2. Navigate to the My Account
  3. Click Account Settings
  4. Under Subscription, select Account Type
  5. Select Cancel

Upgrade and make purchases via our website to receive the prices listed here. Prices may vary per platform. 

Attachments

You can attach up to five files to each message. We currently limit file sizes to 50MB and you can only select files from one folder or location at a time.

On the website:

  1. Under the box where you type your message, click Attachments
  2. Drag and drop files into the box or click the box to select the file you want to attach
  3. You should now see the file icon in the attachment box, along with an option to remove the file
  4. Be sure to type a message about the attachment you are uploading. We recommend parents describe the content of the file and address any issues related to it
  5. Select Send
On the mobile app:
 
  1. Under and to the left of the box where you type your message, click on the paperclip icon
  2. You can choose to add files from either your device or your Vault
  3. Select the file you want to attach and then press Open or Select, depending on your device
  4. Choose Done after you have selected all of the files you would like to add to your message
  5. Be sure to type a message about the attachment you are uploading. We recommend parents describe the content of the file and address any issues related to it
  6. Select Post Message

Attached files are available for download for seven days for users on a Free plan, at which point they are archived. If a user needs to regain access to their archived files, then they can do so anytime by upgrading to a Standard or Premium plan.

While your Messaging Record includes the details of every file upload and download, it does not include the attached files themselves.

Because we allow parents to share a wide variety of file types and formats—including audio and video files—it would be impossible for our printed records to include all shared files accurately. At this point, if you need an attached file and you do not have a copy saved somewhere else, then you will need to go back to the conversation where it was attached and re-download the file.

Keep in mind; you can regain access to all archived attachments anytime by upgrading to a Standard or Premium Plan.

Records

Electronically Certified PDF Records are $49.99 USD (or free with a Standard or Premium account). This purchase gives you 24 hours to access your PDF Records. Follow the steps below to obtain a copy of your PDF Records:

  1. Sign in to your account. 
  2. Navigate to the Records section of your account.
  3. Select PDF Records and Purchase Record(s).
  4. Enter your payment information.
  5. Select Purchase PDF Records Access and Continue.
  6. Add to Cart the Records you would like to obtain.
  7. Select a recipient (Your email or enter Other email).
  8. Hit Send Email.
The recipient will receive a copy of your PDF Record from noreply@talkingparents.com.

Certified Printed Records (cost includes shipping via USPS Priority Mail).
  • Free Plan: $119.99 + $0.19 per page
  • Standard Plan: $39.99 + $0.19 per page
  • Premium Plan: $29.99 + $0.19 per page
Follow the steps below to purchase a copy of your Printed Records:
  1. Sign in to your account. 
  2. Navigate to the Records section of your account
  3. Add to Cart the Records you would like to obtain.
  4. OPTIONAL: Select check box if you want to add a notarized signature to the Business Records Certification (additional $10)
  5. Review the cost of your printed records order and select Purchase
  6. Enter your Shipping Address and Payment Method
  7. Select Purchase Records
  8. Your record will be shipped within two - five business days.

Our service does not allow you to alter your record by rearranging your messages.

All communications are grouped into messages. Every message is assigned a subject by the parent who created it. They are presented in their entirety with nothing left out and arranged chronologically based on the most recent activity.

You can easily change the Time Zone for your TalkingParents account anytime. You can change it as often as you like, even if you’re only in a different time zone for a brief period.

  1. Sign in to your account.
  2. Navigate to the My Info section or under the More/Menu option with our apps
  3. Select a new time zone from the drop-down menu
  4. Select Save My Info button

This will convert the times for all of your existing messages, including all of the times on your Records.
 

PDF Records
All PDF Record purchases are final and non-refundable unless there is an issue with our service that prevents the user from obtaining the record or a technical error with the record itself. Issues or errors must be related to our service or the record itself, and not the user’s device, browser, email, PDF viewer, printer, or any other variables beyond our control.

If we can resolve the issue promptly, then the user will not be entitled to a refund.

Printed Records
All Printed Record purchases are final and non-refundable unless our own error prevents delivery of the record, or the record itself is flawed in some way due to our own actions.

We will not issue a refund if:
  • The user provides an incorrect or incomplete shipping address
  • The user purchases the wrong type of record
  • If a record is damaged in shipping
  • If a record is delivered after the expected delivery date/time

We will issue a refund if there is a flaw with the delivered record that negatively affects its usefulness and could have been prevented by us.

Due to shipping costs and time requirements, we only ship Printed Records to addresses within the US.

Info Library

Watch this video for Info Library

Follow the steps below to create a Card within your Info Library:

  1. Select the plus icon on the top right
  2. Enter a title and information
  3. Optional: Add additional contact fields
  4. Choose whether you would like to share card or keep private

Create Tabs within your Info Library to organize your Cards. You can also use the search and filters options to easily locate Cards within your Info Library.

A Standard or Premium subscription is required to create cards in the Info Library (see full pricing details here). Free users can see any cards that have been created and shared with them.

We understand that co-parenting requires a lot of shared coordination and communication. To minimize important details getting lost in messages or forgotten after a call, we have created the Info Library. This is essentially a collection of cards or sticky notes that you can send to your co-parent with the things that matter.

Info Library card ideas:

  • Medical information, such as the child's pediatrician
  • Childcare information, like the daycare contact number
  • Listing a child's food allergies or dietary requirements
  • Detailing clothing and shoe sizes

To resolve this issue, edit the Card from Shared to Private. By doing this, it will no longer appear in your co-parent's Info Library.


However, once a Card has been shared with your co-parent, the information within that card at the time, will be permanently a part of your co-parent's Info Library Record.

Mobile App

If your subscription to our service through iTunes is still active follow these instructions:

  1. Remove our app from your device and then reinstall it from the iTunes store.
  2. Sign in again and you should have the option to select that you already have an active subscription.
  3. Choose the Restore Subscription option.
Sometimes iTunes will fail to send notice to your device that your payment has been processed until you select this option.

You should be able to find all of your previous subscription and purchase information through your iTunes account. There you can determine if your automatic payment to us failed. If you do not know how to view your iTunes subscriptions, read these instructions.

Please try removing our app from your phone and then downloading it again from the store. Doing this will ensure you have the latest version of our app installed.

When you first log into the app

  1. Select About from the menu.
  2. Select Reregister Push Notifications.

This action will re-enable all notifications from the app. Please note you may also need to adjust your device notification and privacy settings to allow notifications from our app.

Get started with TalkingParents today for free! Learn more about our available plans on our Pricing page.

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