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About Us

Since 2005, we've made life a little easier for divorced or separated parents and family law professionals.

Custody X Change began when a family lawyer teamed with a software developer to find a better way to calculate parenting time.

Over 20 years later, we've expanded our vision to help parents and professionals in more ways.

We help parents and legal professionals:

  • Reduce co-parent conflict through better communication
  • Create parenting agreements to stay out of court
  • Choose parenting schedules with confidence
  • Be convincing in court and negotiations with detailed reports
  • Stay organized for easier co-parenting and smoother cases

About our tool

Custody X Change is the all-in-one tool for managing a custody schedule, creating a parenting plan agreement, tracking expenses and more.

Our features include multiple that no other co-parenting app has:

History

We've made consistent improvements to Custody X Change since our inception, and we're currently working on more.

  • 2026

    May 31: We introduced a modern desktop navigation.

    Mar 24: We completely redesigned expense tracking based on user feedback.

    Feb 9: We started our mobile redesign with an updated navigation.

  • 2025

    Jun 5: You can now export expenses as a spreadsheet.

    Mar 28: We replaced the Silver plan with the Family plan, which lets you pay for your co-parent.

    Mar 24: We improved linking between parents and professionals.

  • 2024

    Dec 3: You can now write notes on the calendar without affecting parenting time.

    Feb 9: We made the app more attractive with new styling.

  • 2023

    Sep 29: We redesigned the look of the calendar.

    Jul 11: We made notifications clearer when your linked co-parent makes changes.

    Mar 29: We added read timestamps and spell-check to messaging.

  • 2022

    Jul 25: Custody X Change can now send parenting time information to Family Law Software.

    Mar 3: We introduced the child-info tool.

    Jan 18: We overhauled the parenting plan. It now has 144 provisions.

  • 2021

    Dec 31: We retired the desktop-only software.

    Apr 19: We created child support calculators on our website.

  • 2020

    Oct 21: We introduced offline mode.

    Jun 4: We developed a hostility monitor for messages.

    Feb 27: We introduced professional groups so colleagues can share data.

    Feb 4: We added the co-parent messaging feature.

  • 2019

    Apr 29: We began publishing in-depth custody guides for locations around the world.

    Mar 21: We officially launched our web app.

  • 2018

    Dec 20: We added the children's activities feature.

    Nov 1: We launched professional accounts.

    Aug 1: We added summer break schedules.

    Mar 15: We introduced printable invoices to expense tracking.

  • 2017

    Dec 15: Calendars can now be shared with co-parents, kids and more.

    Aug 22: We added parenting plans and parenting time calculation to the web app.

    Feb 16: We released the Beta version of the web app with calendars and journals.

  • 2016-2015

    We continued to work on the upcoming web app.

  • 2014

    Apr 29: We launched an improved website.

    Jan 1: We began designing a web app.

  • 2013

    Sep 28: We redesigned the calendar for improved interactivity with version 5.10.

    May 6: We launched a new website with tablet and mobile support.

    Apr 11: We introduced expense tracking and a new interface with version 5.

  • 2012

    Nov 30: We expanded the parenting plan to include 90+ provisions in version 4.70.

    Aug 20: We overhauled the calendar in version 4.50.

    Apr 19: We enhanced actual-time tracking and journaling with version 4.30.

  • 2011

    Aug 15: We released version 4 with a streamlined interface.

    Jun 30: We made the software easier to use during the first half of 2011.

  • 2010

    Aug 24: We introduced third-party time to the calendar with version 3.40.

    Jan 11: We released version 3, improving parenting-time calculation.

  • 2009

    Aug 10: We introduced actual-time tracking and journaling with version 2.50.

    Jan 28: We added the parenting plan template in version 2.10.

  • 2008

    Nov 26: We released version 2, adding PDF exporting and one-time calendar events.

  • 2008-2006

    New development was halted while Ben was in business school at MIT Sloan.

  • 2005

    Dec 28: We introduced the parenting time report with version 1.20.

    May 3: We made version 1 available to the public.

  • 2004

    Oct 22: We released the Beta version to a family court facilitator's office.

    Jun 10: Ben quit his job and began coding Custody X Change.

  • 2003

    Late 2003: A respected family lawyer approached Ben with the idea of creating software that calculates parenting time. They began the initial design. Their partnership lasted through 2006.

Team

We're a small, remote team committed to creating great experiences for parents and professionals dealing with difficult situations.

Ben Coltrin

Ben Coltrin: Co-founder and President Joined June 2004

Ben was 21 years old when he quit his job to create the Custody X Change software. He's been helping parents manage child custody and divorce for over two decades now. He loves building this software because it positively impacts real people's lives.

Ben lives with his wife and five children in Herriman, 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

Auro Mota: Senior Software Developer Joined 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.

He lives in Pouso Alegre, a city located in Minas Gerais, in southeast Brazil.

Sandro Bonagura

Sandro Bonagura: Lead Developer Joined 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

Shea Drefs: Managing Editor Joined July 2018

Shea graduated summa cum laude from ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. She also completed postgraduate study at St. Mary's University in London. She formerly reported for Arizona's largest newspaper.

At Custody X Change, she leads the research and writing team. She frequently teaches legal education classes based on her years of child custody research. As a mother, she brings a parent's perspective to her work.

She lives 15 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border and loves the frequent Spanish practice.

Zarira Love

Zarira Love: Senior Writer / Researcher Joined 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.

She has researched and written about child custody in over 20 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces. Her work extends to the topic of divorce, writing articles for The Divorce Magazine (UK) and Mediate.com. In addition, she has moderated usability studies, interacting directly with Custody X Change users to find ways to enhance the user experience.

She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from SUNY Purchase College. Her hobbies include reading, listening to music, and watching mixed martial arts and professional wrestling.

Tucker Lieberman

Tucker Lieberman: Senior Writer / Researcher Joined Nov 2021

Tucker has researched and written about child custody in 15 U.S. states. He studied philosophy, completed a graduate degree in journalism at Boston University, and worked for a decade in user experience for a financial company.

He published a bilingual collection of poetry about loss, reads memoirs submitted to Split/Lip Press and trained as a life coach.

Originally from Boston, he lives in Bogotá, Colombia.

Joanna Smykowski

Joanna Smykowski: Attorney, Legal Contributor Joined Feb 2025

Joanna is a licensed attorney in New York State who started her career in family court, representing children in abuse and neglect cases.

She has been writing for law schools, law firms, and legal tech companies for over a decade, utilizing her knowledge as an attorney to transform legal jargon into digestible pieces for clients.

She received her Juris Doctor from the CUNY School of Law.

Alex Scheurell

Alex Scheurell: Customer Success Joined Feb 2025

Alex is a support engineer with over 15 years of technical and customer support experience.

He lives with his wife and their cat in Milwaukee. In his free time, he enjoys gaming, cooking, and doing theater related activities.

He has a bachelor of the arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Claire Law

Claire Law: Psychotherapist, Legal Contributor Joined Aug 2025

Claire has a background of almost 20 years of teaching experience. She now works as a relational psychotherapist, writer and trainer.

Claire is passionate about supporting children's and young people's mental health and wellbeing.

She completed a post-grad qualification in Psychotherapy with the University of Central Lancashire, as well as achieving BACP Accredited Counsellor status.

Janet Fu

Janet Fu: UX Designer Joined Sep 2025

Janet is a UX designer with over 15 years of experience creating thoughtful, human-centered digital experiences.

She grew up in Los Angeles and now calls Seattle home, after spending 8 years living and working in Tokyo.

Outside of work, Janet loves spending time with friends. A big foodie at heart, her current obsession is anything sourdough.

She has her BA from UCLA and later studied Graphic Design at Seattle Central.

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

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