KIDMATE is designed as a joint custody program for family lawyers allowing for advanced visitation scheduling using expense spreadsheets, a percentage gauge bar and an area for customizable holidays. These items enable the practitioner to facilitate divorce negotiations for all families with children. The Program consists of four individual modules:

• The family data module, which is used for entering basic information (client, co-parent, and children).
• The timesharing module, which creates a comprehensive timesharing schedule, facilitating the way the children are shared by the separated parents.
• The recordkeeper module, which documents the history of the timesharing schedule.
• The e-screen module, which is used for negotiating the responsibilities for child-related expenses.

After filling out these fields, you move to the timesharing and record keeping areas. Even though an experienced family law specialist can quickly put together a schedule based on his or her own experience, the ultimate success of that material will depend on the family for whom it was created. You must take the shared custody situation a case-by-case basis and talk with all those involved prior to setting any type of scheduling, since each case is unique and has its own merits. The timesharing organizer allows you to work out a comprehensive schedule from a basic pattern that will repeat itself for holidays, vacations, and birthdays. What the pattern really works out to be is one that is connected to the days of the week or month, making it easier for the child to remember which parent they will be staying with, based on countless variations.

With the percentage and day counter module, you have an accurate calculation of the percentage of time the child spends with each parent. While most attorneys would say this information is easy to find, the program excels at showing that, while you may see 60 percent of the time the children are with the co-parent, and your client complains that he or she only gets 40 percent of the time, you can print out and show that your client's 40 percent is more quality time than that of the co-parent. This results in a clear picture of time spent, which is done ny taking into account the children's being in school a portion of the time, doing homework, outside activities, etc., all of which is not quality time with a parent. The charts can substantiate and crystallize this picture for your client in a way he or she can truly understand.

Another useful feature is the holiday inserts. This takes all major U.S. holidays, and automatically inserts them into the schedule. It also provides for all Christian, Jewish, and certain other religious holidays, depending on family background. You can also customize this section for a particular family situation.

In using the record keeper, you may show what the prior history of the timeshare arrangement has been, so that you can negotiate what the future of the timesharing should be. The module will allow you to document the history as a recordkeeping calender and log the details onto a recordkeeper form.

KIDMATE also excels at bringing forth a logical explanation to clients, opponents and the judiciary on how to cope with a nagging problem: the visitation schedule. It has consistently helped me produce fast, easy-to-use solutions that make complicated visitation schedules workable for clients.

Although KIDMATE originated in Los Angeles, it is available nationwide. For further information about the program, visit KIDMATE's Web site at www.KIDMATE.com.