About Us
Custody X Change makes life a little easier and less painful for divorced and separated parents and legal professionals.
We provide software that helps parents to:
- Spend adequate time with their children.
- Reduce conflict through better communication.
- Create fair schedules that both parents are happy with.
- Work toward parenting plans in the child’s best interests.
- Stay organized with the details of exchanges, notes and actual time-tracking.
History
We've made regular progress to Custody X Change since work began in 2003. We are currently working on exciting new improvements.
Team
We're a small, fully-remote team, committed to creating great experiences for parents and professionals facing difficult situations.
Ben Coltrin: Co-founder and PresidentJoined June 2004
Ben was 21 years old when he quit his job to create the Custody X Change software. He loves building this software because it positively impacts real people's lives.
Ben lives with his wife and four children in Riverton, Utah. He spends most of his free time with his family.
Ben has an MBA from MIT Sloan and a Computer Science degree from California State University, Sacramento.
Auro Mota: Software DeveloperJoined July 2016
Auro is a software developer who loves to master new technologies. He strives to write code that's easy to understand.
He is the lead guitarist of his band, Ávila. When he's not working or jamming out, he likes to go sightseeing or play video games.
Auro is currently earning a Systems Analyst degree at UNIVÁS. He lives in Pouso Alegre, a city located in Minas Gerais, in southeast Brazil.
Sandro Bonagura: Lead DeveloperJoined June 2017
Sandro is a software developer who stays on the lookout for ways to prevent bugs and problems before they happen.
When he is not working, he is either playing video games or spending time with his wife. He loves all kinds of learning, not just technology.
Sandro has a Bachelor of System Analysis and Information Technology from FATEC-SCS. He lives with his wife in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil.
Shea Drefs: Managing EditorJoined July 2018
Shea makes complex topics easy to read. She began her career as a news reporter and has since written for travel websites, an Ivy League school, a Silicon Valley start-up and more.
She caught the travel bug after graduating from Arizona State University. She has since lived in England, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico.
When not writing, Shea is likely doing yoga or running — or dreaming of where she'll move next.
Zarira Love: Writer / ResearcherJoined March 2019
Zarira is a writer from western New York. She has published work online, in-print, and served as a fiction editor for her alma mater's literary journal.
Although primarily a fiction writer, she enjoys writing journalistic and informative pieces. Her hobbies include reading, listening to music, and watching mixed martial arts and professional wrestling.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from SUNY Purchase College.
Taylor Boulware, PhD: Writer / ResearcherJoined May 2019
Taylor loves using the power of words to help people. She left university teaching to pursue a career in public writing in 2017.
She is also a fiction writer and media scholar. When not writing and analyzing TV and movies, she loves to cook and bake, and is currently on a quest to make the perfect loaf of homemade bread.
Taylor has a Doctorate in English from the University of Washington, and a MA and BA of English from Oregon State. She lives with her partner and their two cats in Tucson, Arizona.
Ryan Lertola: Customer SuccessJoined Dec 2019
Ryan is a software developer who is currently focused on building easy-to-use mobile apps. He has also worked in the retail and legal fields.
He grew up in Michigan, moved to the Phoenix, AZ area after graduating from Western Michigan University, and has lived in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for the past two years.
Ryan’s hobbies include pretty much any outdoor activity, reading, watching tv and movies, and he hopes to do a lot more traveling.
Marcus Pitz: Software DeveloperJoined Jan 2020
Marcus started coding when he was 15 years old and loves it. He embraces learning new ideas and especially likes learning better coding practices and strategies.
He has a Computer Science degree from the University of Blumenau, FURB. He lives in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
When he's not at a computer, Marcus is working out, doing pilates or planing his next trip to someplace he hasn't visited before.
Marc James: Writer / ResearcherJoined Dec 2020
Marc has experience as a writer, producer and creative legal counsel in the US and Europe.
His biggest passion is seeing the world. Born and raised in Scotland, he's now up to 40 countries and counting. When he's not travelling or working, Marc is at the gym, brewing speciality coffee or working on his German language skills.
Marc has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of London and a Master of Arts from The Royal Academy of Music in London.
Noel Bouwmeester: Email OutreachJoined Jan 2021
For the last decade Noel has run his own websites and online projects. He likes to make connections and relationships with other website owners.
Originally from the Netherlands, he traveled to several countries before finally settling in Costa Rica, where he lives with his family. He's fluent in Dutch, English and Spanish.
In his free time, he loves to read, spend time with his family, and enjoy the good life of Costa Rica.
Research methods
We strive for the utmost accuracy, with the goal of helping parents ensure the best possible future for their children.
Here's how we do it:
- We research across national, state and county borders to understand the local custody processes.
- We discuss and fact-check with professionals in varied roles: attorneys, judges, mediators, evaluators, parenting coordinators, family law facilitators, parenting educators, etc.
- We dig through websites and documents from governments, courts and legal aid societies to extract the most important information.
- We sit in on public custody hearings to observe procedures firsthand.
I found the software very easy to use. It’s flexible, making a tough job with a tricky schedule easier to work out.
Russ Hayes
Franklin, OH