In any month, I will receive an ’emergency’ call from a parent client who has a child in crisis — either mental health or addiction. These conditions lead to extreme behaviors, self-injurious or injurious to others. The only problem is “his father (or mother) doesn’t see it as an emergency, and I can’t get him to pay for treatment.”

These pleas are in fact real — but they likely will not alleviate the activity to the attention of the court or the guardian ad litem or even the therapist. However, when there is a ‘pattern’ of documented events with evidence of the other partner’s disinterest in attending to the child’s activity, then there may be grounds to file a motion, per a family attorney / colleague. It would seem that simply calling up someone is not evidentiary enough.

There are a myriad of apps out there, but one I like using very much is Day One, a journaling app allowing one to make ‘categories’ and assimilating various materials (e.g., photos, texts, recordings, locations) to catalogue events on specific days at specific locations. The information can be shared to others without their owning the same app. Technology has some usefulness after all, and it’s a good way to keep better notes and records on important facets of your family life. Try it, I think you’ll like Day One.