Getting Started with Alimentor

Introduction

Thank you for downloading Alimentor.

The app is designed to support a wide range of co-parenting circumstances, so the best setup depends on what you want to track, how much history you want to enter, and how you plan to use reports and share your data.

This article explains the basic concepts to help you choose a practical approach for day-to-day record keeping and future use.

  Availability

Alimentor is available for both iOS and macOS, so you can install it on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The app versions for iOS and macOS are sold separately but share the same private iCloud storage container, keeping your data synced across all your devices automatically.

  Pricing

Alimentor doesn’t require any subscriptions. The only cost is a one‑time purchase fee (separate for iOS and macOS versions), making it a cost‑effective solution for managing your custody‑related data.

You can download a free trial of the desktop app to explore its features before purchasing.

  Defining Family Members

Before you can start logging events and activities in Alimentor, you need to define at least one caregiver and one child within the app.

Typically you will want to add you and your ex-spouse as caregivers. You can also add grandparents, babysitters and other persons involved in taking care of your kids.

•  iOS  Tap the Persons icon located in the upper left corner of the Home view.
•  Mac  Click the Persons button on the main toolbar or choose Persons... from the menu bar.

Once your family members are defined, you can start adding records to the calendar. Use recurring events to build a regular schedule, or add individual entries as things happen.

  Creating and Editing Events

Alimentor offers four distinct record types — parenting time, expenses, call history, and memos — each tailored to capture specific details of your custody arrangements.

The example below illustrates how a parenting time record appears inside the editor. Each section is designed to help you clearly document both scheduled and actual care, note important details, and attach supporting evidence.

  Record Status

• Status - indicates record status: Planned, Actual or Canceled.
• Scheduled - determines if the record is considered part of the custody schedule.

The table below summarizes the meaning of each status.

  Naming and Tagging Records

Properly naming and tagging your records in Alimentor makes it much easier to search, organize, and generate reports. Here are three effective methods to group your records:

Method	Description
Generic Titles	Use short, descriptive titles to make records easy to find and organize. Examples include: School, Dental Treatment, Winter Break, Entertainment.
Custody Factors	Group records by assigning custody factors, also known as Best Interests Factors. This helps categorize records based on key considerations relevant in legal contexts. You can then generate detailed "Best Interests of the Child" reports and provide these directly to your attorney to streamline legal preparation.
Hashtags	Use hashtags (e.g., #Medical, #EITC) in the Notes field to categorize and easily search for specific information. Place them on a line separate from the main text.

  Deciding on Custody Tracking Strategy

When using Alimentor, it’s essential to decide whose parenting time you will track. To minimize data entry efforts, it is recommended for a single user to log custody time for only one parent. The report calendar can automatically assign unallocated time to the other parent or another caregiver.

• The other parent is also using Alimentor and sharing their data with you.
• You plan to store notes and photos related directly to your time with the child.

Alternatively, you can choose to track parenting time for the parent whose schedule is easier to maintain in the app.

  Recurring Events

Use recurring events to plan your parenting schedule, calls, recurring expenses and payments, as well as other important repeating events.

2-2-5-5 Schedule Example

In a 2-2-5-5 schedule, the child spends two nights with the first parent, followed by two nights with the other parent. Then, the child spends five nights with the first parent and subsequently five nights with the other parent.

1. First event: 2 nights.
2. Second event: 5 nights, starting after the 2 nights with the other parent.

Schedule Adjustments

• To enter individual deviations from your basic schedule (e.g., school holidays or vacations), use the calendar or navigate to the Planned view and edit or delete specific entries.
• Changing the scheduled dates for a single occurrence of a recurring event does not affect the other occurrences. You can also edit the title and add notes, such as an email confirming the change.
• To make permanent schedule changes, end existing recurring events by deleting the first unneeded occurrence (select "Delete This and Future Events"), then create new ones.

Holidays

Alimentor lets you model custody schedules that include both fixed-date and moving holidays (e.g., Easter, Labor Day), helping you align with typical court order provisions.

You can anchor a yearly recurring event to a specific holiday by selecting it from the Relative To list (currently available for users in the US, Canada, and Australia).

Tracking Multiple Children’s Schedules

• If actual parenting time often differs between children (e.g., an older child stays longer), it’s better to create separate recurring events for each child. This way, you can easily track individual pick‑up/drop‑off times.
• Otherwise, you can assign multiple children to the same recurring events that represent your custody schedule. In case of differences, you will need to duplicate the individual occurrence and use a separate copy for each child.

Learn more about schedules →

  Entering Historical Data

If you were tracking your parenting time before using Alimentor, you can add those historical records to the app to create more complete and accurate reports.

While Alimentor allows you to store past data, it’s important to consider how far back you want it to go. Entering detailed child custody history can be a time‑consuming task.

Importing Data from an External Calendar

If you’ve been keeping your parenting schedule in an external calendar, such as Google Calendar, you can import individual events into Alimentor.

To import a visitation from your device’s calendar, simply open the event in Alimentor’s calendar view and select Import as Parenting Time.

Using Recurring Events to Recreate History

You can also recreate your historical visitation schedule by setting up recurring events that start in the past.

Use the calendar view or the Planned list to change the status of each historical event from Planned to Actual (or Canceled), while adjusting the dates to reflect any deviations.

  Sharing Your Records

Alimentor provides three effective ways to share your records:

Method	Description
iCloud Sync	Securely share your entire database with other Alimentor users through Apple’s iCloud, ensuring privacy and seamless access.
CalSync	Automatically export records to external calendars like iCloud or Gmail.
Reports and Spreadsheets	Generate detailed reports for regular updates or legal support, or export all records to a spreadsheet for further analysis or sharing.

To learn more, read the following article: 3 Ways to Share Your Data.

  Building a Routine

Using Alimentor regularly helps you build a comprehensive documentation history, which is valuable during custody disputes and for ongoing planning.

• Add Alimentor widgets to your Home Screen and Lock Screen.
• Create recurring reminder memos, such as: "Send monthly report".

  Learn More

• Alimentor User Guide →
• Documentation in Child Custody Cases →
• Expense Documentation for Divorce, Custody, and Taxes →
• 3 Ways to Share Your Data →

If you have any questions about Alimentor, or want to share your feedback, please email us at: feedback@alimentor.org.