Best Co-Parenting in South Carolina — 14 resources

About Co-Parenting for Women

Co-parenting programs help separated and divorced mothers share custody constructively and document communication. Most states require court-ordered parent education (often called 'children first' or 'co-parenting' classes) before finalizing a divorce or custody order involving minor children — typically 4–6 hours, online or in person, costing 5–$75. Court-based mediation programs are often free or sliding-scale and certified through state mediation councils. Digital tools like OurFamilyWizard, Talking Parents, and 2Houses provide court-admissible message logs, shared calendars, and expense tracking that family judges increasingly require in high-conflict cases. This directory includes state-required classes, mediators, and co-parenting apps.

Co-Parenting in South Carolina

South Carolina family courts handle divorce, custody, and support in each of its 16 judicial circuits. The Child Support Services Division operates under the Department of Social Services. Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant are the largest cities. South Carolina Legal Services and the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) serve women.

14 Resources

1. SC Family Court Mediation Services — Free

The SC Judicial Branch operates a roster of certified family-court mediators across the state for divorcing and never-married parents working out custody. Many counties require mediation before contested custody hearings. Phone 803-734-1800 or check sccourts.org for your county's mediation program. Free or sliding-scale.

803-734-1800 · Statewide Service · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Richland County Family Court — Mediation — Free

Richland County's Family Court mediation program at 1701 Main Street in Columbia matches parents with court-approved mediators to resolve custody and visitation outside the courtroom. Sliding-scale or court-paid in qualifying cases. Phone 803-576-1950 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm to confirm referral process.

803-576-1950 · 1701 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

3. Charleston County Mediation Center — Free

The Charleston County mediation roster connects mothers in the Lowcountry to certified family mediators for custody, divorce, and parenting-plan disputes. Phone 843-723-0035 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm to inquire about scheduling. Often less costly and faster than full litigation.

843-723-0035 · Charleston, SC 29401 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

4. Children's Trust of South Carolina — Parenting — Free

Children's Trust at 1330 Lady Street in Columbia funds and coordinates evidence-based parenting programs across SC — Parents as Teachers, Triple P, and Nurturing Parenting. Locate the nearest free class at scchildren.org. Phone 803-744-4032 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm. Free for participating families.

803-744-4032 · 1330 Lady St Suite 310, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

5. Family Connection of SC — Co-Parenting — Free

Family Connection of SC at 1800 Main Street in Columbia supports families with children who have special healthcare needs, including parent-to-parent matching, sibling support, and resources for co-parenting around medical complexities. Phone 803-252-0914 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm. Free.

803-252-0914 · 1800 Main St Suite 200, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

6. Beaufort County Family Court — Mediation — Free

Beaufort County Family Court's mediation program serves Hilton Head, Bluffton, and the surrounding Lowcountry. Mediators help parents craft parenting plans that the court can adopt as a consent order. Phone 843-255-5400 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm.

843-255-5400 · Beaufort, SC 29902 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

7. Our Family Wizard — Free

OurFamilyWizard at ourfamilywizard.com is the co-parenting app most often ordered by SC family courts in high-conflict cases. Features a tone-meter, expense tracking, and tamper-proof message log admissible in court. Annual subscription with fee waivers for low-income parents.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

8. TalkingParents — Free

TalkingParents at talkingparents.com offers a free basic tier with timestamped messaging plus paid upgrades for calendar and recorded calls. Records download as court-admissible PDFs. Good for SC moms wanting documentation without the OFW price.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

9. AppClose — Free

AppClose at appclose.com is a fully free co-parenting app with calendar, messaging, expense tracking, and parenting-plan builder. Less polished than OFW but no subscription, making it accessible for SC mothers with limited budgets. iOS and Android.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. 2houses — Free

2houses at 2houses.com is a co-parenting platform with a financial reconciliation tool that's particularly useful for SC moms tracking shared expenses like medical bills and extracurriculars. Free trial; subscription for full access. The 'info bank' stores medical records and school logins.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. Coparenter — Free

Coparenter at coparenter.com combines a messaging app with on-demand certified mediators who can intervene in real time when a disagreement escalates. Useful for high-conflict co-parents who can't communicate without third-party help. Subscription required.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. Up to Parents — Free

UpToParents.org is a free 30-minute online co-parenting course many family courts accept as good-faith effort. Useful for SC mothers entering custody disputes for the first time who want to demonstrate child-focused intent. Free, no account.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. Cozi Family Organizer — Free

Cozi at cozi.com is a free shared family calendar that works well between cooperating co-parents who need to coordinate kid schedules. Color-coded calendars, shared lists, and reminders. Not court-tracked — use only with low-conflict co-parents. Free.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. Custody X Change — Free

Custody X Change at custodyxchange.com is software that helps mothers draft detailed parenting plans, calculate parenting time for child-support purposes, and generate court-ready PDFs accepted by SC Family Court. Step-by-step interview format. Subscription required.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many co-parenting resources are in South Carolina?
Women's Corner tracks 14 co-parenting resources for women in South Carolina.
Are co-parenting resources in South Carolina free?
14 of the 14 listed co-parenting resources in South Carolina are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in South Carolina have co-parenting resources?
Listings span cities including Columbia, Charleston, Beaufort.
What are some examples of co-parenting resources in South Carolina?
Featured entries include SC Family Court Mediation Services, Richland County Family Court — Mediation, Charleston County Mediation Center, Children's Trust of South Carolina — Parenting, Family Connection of SC — Co-Parenting.
Do these listings include phone numbers?
6 of 14 South Carolina co-parenting listings include phone numbers.
Is a parenting class required for divorce?
In most states, yes — a 4–6 hour court-approved co-parenting class (5–$75, often online) is required before any divorce or custody order involving minor children is finalized. Check your state court's approved provider list. The class is gender-neutral and focuses on protecting kids from conflict.
What's mediation and do I have to do it?
Mediation is a confidential negotiation with a neutral third party to agree on a parenting plan. Most states require at least one mediation session before contested custody hearings. It's faster, cheaper, and less traumatic than litigation. If there's domestic violence history, you can request to opt out or have separate-room mediation.
Which co-parenting app should I use?
OurFamilyWizard, Talking Parents, and 2Houses are accepted as evidence in court in most US jurisdictions. They provide tamper-proof message logs, shared calendars, expense tracking, and a tone-monitoring feature. If your ex is abusive or harassing, these apps create a documented record judges will read.
How do I co-parent with someone who was abusive?
Use parallel parenting instead of cooperative co-parenting — minimize contact, use a court-monitored app for all communication, exchange the child at a neutral location or police station, and stick strictly to the written parenting plan. Document everything. Many states allow supervised exchanges through Safe Exchange programs at no cost.