Expenses & ClearFund

ClearFund is CommonGround's built-in expense management system designed specifically for co-parenting. It gives both parents full transparency into child-related costs, eliminates disputes over who owes what, and creates a documented financial trail that holds up in court.

Every expense is logged with a category, amount, description, and optional receipt. Costs are automatically split based on your agreed-upon percentages, and payments can be processed directly through the platform with zero fees via Stripe.

Adding a new expense takes less than a minute. From your ClearFund dashboard, tap the "Add Expense" button and fill in the details.

1. 1Navigate to ClearFund from your family file dashboard.
2. 2Tap "Add Expense" in the top-right corner.
3. 3Select a category (medical, education, extracurricular, clothing, childcare, or other).
4. 4Enter the amount and a brief description of what the expense was for.
5. 5Set the date the expense occurred.
6. 6Optionally attach a receipt (see next section).
7. 7Tap "Submit" to log the expense and notify your co-parent.

Attaching receipts to your expenses adds a layer of verification and makes your records significantly stronger for court purposes. ClearFund accepts photos and PDF documents.

• Take a photo of the receipt directly from your phone camera, or upload a saved image.
• Upload PDF documents for insurance statements, invoices, or digital receipts.
• Each expense can have multiple attachments if needed.
• Receipts are stored securely and included in financial exports.

ClearFund automatically calculates each parent's share of an expense based on the split percentages defined in your custody agreement. Common arrangements include 50/50, 60/40, or 70/30 splits, but any ratio is supported.

For example, if you have a 60/40 split and log a $200 medical expense, Parent A is responsible for $120 and Parent B for $80. The system handles the math automatically and shows each parent exactly what they owe.

Different expense categories can have different split ratios if your agreement specifies it. Medical expenses might be split 50/50 while extracurricular activities are 70/30.

When you pay for an expense upfront, you can submit a reimbursement request to your co-parent for their portion.

1. 1Log the expense with full details and receipt.
2. 2The system calculates your co-parent's share based on the agreed split.
3. 3Your co-parent receives a notification to review the expense.
4. 4They can approve, request more information, or dispute the expense.
5. 5Once approved, payment can be made directly through the platform.

The ClearFund dashboard gives you a real-time view of your financial standing. You can see all outstanding balances, pending reimbursements, and completed payments in one place.

• View a running balance showing who owes what at any time.
• Mark expenses as paid when your co-parent reimburses you outside the platform.
• Process zero-fee payments directly through Stripe integration.
• Filter by category, date range, or payment status.
• Download monthly or custom-range financial summaries.

ClearFund can track recurring court-ordered financial obligations separately from one-time expenses. Child support payments are made directly through your state’s State Disbursement Unit (SDU) — CommonGround records the payment for court evidence. Other recurring obligations like medical insurance premiums and education contributions are funded through the platform.

Set up each obligation with its amount, frequency, and due date. ClearFund sends reminders before payments are due and tracks compliance automatically. Late or missed payments are documented with timestamps for your records.

Every transaction in ClearFund is timestamped, attributed, and stored with tamper-proof verification. This creates a comprehensive financial record that attorneys and courts can rely on.

• All expenses include SHA-256 verification hashes for tamper detection.
• Export financial summaries as court-ready PDFs.
• Filter exports by date range, category, or payment status.
• Include or exclude receipt attachments in your export.
• Share exports directly with your attorney through the Professional Portal.