Families & Students

How to handle divorced or separated parents

Quick answer: Set the parent who handles billing as Parent 1, add the other as Parent 2, and add a note recording the custody arrangement.

Step-by-step

1. Identify which parent is the primary financial contact — usually the parent who pays tuition. Set them as Parent 1.
2. Add the other parent as Parent 2 with their own email and phone.
3. Add a note recording the custody and communication arrangement: who should receive what, who pays for what, and any special considerations.
4. Update your school's default communication settings for this family if needed — for example, billing emails to Parent 1 only, all other communications to both.

Common situations

• Both parents want all communications. Send to both by default. Simplest case.
• One parent handles school, the other doesn't engage. Send to the engaged parent. Keep the other on the record for emergency contact.
• High-conflict separation. Be especially careful about which communications go to whom. Note the arrangement clearly so any team member who interacts with the family knows.

Tips

• If both parents are paying separately, talk to your billing team. Growth Suite is set up to bill a single household, so split billing usually needs a workaround.
• For legal matters (custody disputes, court orders), follow your school's policy — Growth Suite is not the place to track legal documentation.

Related articles

• How to add a second parent to a family
• Understanding two-parent households
• How to add a note to a family's record