Welcome to FairLedger

FairLedger is designed for co-parents, but provides immediate value even if you're the only parent using it today. It keeps a jointly acknowledged, tamper-evident record of expenses, support payments, and custody, so you have documentation that holds up, without the drama of texts and spreadsheets.

A quick orientation to the core ideas behind FairLedger before diving into the details.

One parent creates the account and invites the other. The full experience requires both parents; once connected, every transaction creates a shared, verified record.

1. 1

   Create your account

   Go to app.fairledger.app and sign up. Your 30-day free trial starts immediately, no credit card needed.

2. 2

   Choose your setup mode

   Select Together with my co-parent if you're ready to invite them now, or On my own for now to start recording solo and invite later.

3. 3

   Invite your co-parent

   Enter their email address. They'll receive an invitation link and create their own account. Once they join, your shared ledger activates and all new entries require mutual acknowledgment.

4. 4

   Add your children (optional)

   From Settings → Children, add each child's name to associate expenses and events with a specific child.

FairLedger has two separate ledgers, each with its own transaction types. Tap the + button on the relevant screen to add a transaction.

Expense Ledger

Tracks shared child-related costs and reimbursements. Tap + on the Expenses screen to add an entry.

Shared Expense

Any cost shared between both parents: medical, school, activities, childcare. One parent submits; the other approves. Affects the Expense Balance once approved.

Examples: dental appointment, soccer cleats, school supplies, summer camp

Expense Payment

Records a payment made to reduce the expense balance, via Venmo, Zelle, cash, or any method. FairLedger doesn't process payments; it records that one was made. A single payment can cover multiple outstanding expenses; it reduces the overall balance, not a specific transaction. The recipient must verify receipt before it affects the balance.

Examples: "Sent $300 via Zelle on June 1st", "Paid in cash at pickup"

Adjustment

Corrects a previously approved expense without deleting the original record. Use when the final amount differs from what was initially submitted.

Examples: insurance covered part of a medical bill after the fact, returned item

Support Ledger

Tracks court-ordered financial obligations separately from shared expenses. Tap + on the Support screen to add an entry.

Support Obligation

A recurring financial obligation, typically child support or alimony. Recorded as accrued automatically; no approval required. Can be set up as a recurring monthly entry.

Examples: monthly child support, alimony payment

Support Payment

Records a payment made against the support balance. A single payment can cover multiple accrued obligations; it reduces the overall Support Balance, not a specific entry. The recipient must verify receipt before it affects the balance.

Examples: "Monthly support — May", "Alimony via direct deposit"

Adjustment

Corrects a previously recorded support obligation without deleting the original. Use when the obligation amount changes or was entered incorrectly.

Examples: support amount modified by court order, correction to a prior entry

Field reference

When a transaction is submitted, it enters Pending status and does not affect any balance until the other parent responds. The action label differs by transaction type:

Set up recurring transactions for anything that repeats monthly: child support, alimony, or regular shared expenses like daycare. The recurring feature is available on both the Expenses and Support screens.

1. 1

   On the Expenses or Support screen, tap the Recurring button.

2. 2

   Tap Add Recurring Transaction and configure the type, amount, and which day of the month it posts.

3. 3

   Each month, FairLedger creates the transaction automatically. You'll be notified when it posts.

The calendar gives both parents a shared view of the custody schedule, events, and activities. Days are color-coded by who has custody.

Setting up your custody schedule

Tap the Custody Schedule button on the Calendar screen to configure your custody arrangement. Choose from two modes:

• •Fixed alternating: a regular weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly rotation with a defined start date
• •Flexible: set a default custody parent and mark the other parent's custody periods individually, ideal when visits follow an irregular or long-distance schedule

Adding events

Tap any day on the calendar to add an event: doctor's appointments, school activities, sports, travel. Events can be tied to a specific child and set as recurring weekly.

Either parent can propose a custody swap for one or more days. The other parent accepts or declines, and the calendar updates automatically with a complete audit trail.

1. 1

   From the Calendar screen, tap Custody Schedule, then tap Request Custody Swap.

2. 2

   Select a date range, a single day or multiple days. A live breakdown shows which days are changing custody and which are already scheduled correctly.

3. 3

   Choose who gets custody for those days, add a reason, and submit.

4. 4

   Your co-parent receives a notification and can accept, decline, or reply with a message. If accepted, the calendar updates immediately.

FairLedger keeps all communication in context. Messages are tied directly to the expense, support transaction, event, or swap they relate to.

Generate a full report for any date range: a clean, printable document showing every transaction, its status, net effect, and running balance, across both ledgers.

• Go to Settings → Reports, select a date range, and tap Generate.
• Reports open in a new browser tab and can be printed or saved as PDF.
• The Expense Ledger and Support Ledger are shown in separate sections.
• Disputed entries are marked and excluded from the balance.
• Category subtotals give a quick breakdown of where money went.

A secure place to store and organize the documents that matter most — parenting plan, insurance cards, medical records, school documents, and more — accessible to both parents in one place.

How to access

Tap your avatar from the Dashboard to access the Account screen, then tap Documents / Family Records. Documents are organized into categories; tap a category to expand it and add or view files.

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