We genuinely love our partners when we say “I do.” Many of us still love them even when it’s time for divorce. Just…not in the same way. Or maybe we don’t love them anymore. That’s not an indictable offense. These are normal life changes — not crimes or sins — and they’re no reason to turn feelings of guilt and shame into fire aimed at a partner. On the contrary, the commonality and inevitability of such life changes is reason to keep breakups amicable, fair, and even loving.

– Steven Kane

 

These words are more powerful than ever. We’ve all seen so many changes to our lives throughout the last few weeks and for many of us, when we find a moment of calm – away from kids and work (if we’re lucky to still have a job) – we’ve begun to refocus on what matters most to us. If ending your marriage is truly the right decision for your relationship, this can be an opportunity to move forward with your divorce. 

Even if you are currently quarantined together, you can still get a divorce without leaving your house. 

You can complete your divorce online. And, it’s not as complicated as you might think. Here’s why:

You can start the divorce process now – you don’t have to wait for COVID-19 to go away.

This is going to sound crazy, but it’s true: many traditional lawyers are not equipped to handle clients remotely. Reports are showing that since the COVID-19 crisis began, a majority of firms have had trouble – or have already given up – trying to work remotely. (Think paper files, on-premise servers, no laptops, etc.) 

Which means that if you want to divorce through a traditional lawyer, you might have to have to wait for the global pandemic to end. And that could take a while. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the ‘old way’ of practicing law and “doing” divorce is exactly why we founded Hello Divorce — it’s time for a change. 

Hello Divorce has always been set up to help you through the divorce process online, start to finish. 

Our service was built for a time like this. Never in our wildest dreams would we have expected that our model would require a global pandemic to get really noticed and validated – but coronavirus has shown more and more divorcing couples just like you that our hybrid model, which pairs online services with legal help from California lawyers (or mediators),  is not only the answer to keeping the ball moving forward – it’s a way to keep costs down and conflict low We’re helping couples move forward to their next chapter as conveniently as possible – without all the drama ordinarily associated with divorce.

Our DIY resources, articles, worksheets, step-by-step guidance, videos and interactive tools like our Divorce Navigator help you complete and print file-ready (and editable) copies of all of your California divorce paperwork online. You can talk with a member of our legal team on demand to get specific advice about your case at a flat-rate fee, in whatever way that suits you: Zoom, Skype, email, Google Hangouts, text or just the old fashioned telephone. 

Besides, the average cost of a traditional lawyer-on-retainer divorce for a couple with kids in California is $26,000 – per person. Do you really have that kind of money sitting around right now? 

I didn’t think so. Which is why I think you’ll be happy to know that couples divorcing through Hello Divorce complete their divorce in about six months for an average cost of just $1,500. Total.

In fact, if you have specific questions right now about your divorce case, we’ll answer them for free. Book your free 15-minute divorce strategy call with us at this link, now.

Our Divorce Navigator lets you start and finish all of your divorce paperwork online.

I started Hello Divorce because I couldn’t stand the traditional divorce process – the high fees, long turnarounds driven by insistence on sticking with hard copy papers and files, and the complete lack of transparency. It’s really something that it took a global pandemic to demonstrate why it is so important for the legal system to modernize and get more efficient at handling cases electronically, like we have at Hello Divorce. 

One of the best features of a Hello Divorce membership is the access you have to our Divorce Navigator, a first-of-its-kind online app that lets you start and complete all the 20+ mandatory California court forms. Work at your own pace and save your work as you go. When you’re done, the click of a button will print your divorce paperwork in the official court format, along with our detailed step-by-step instructions on how to file. (Or, you can have us file on your behalf.)

No other divorce platform in California has created a tool like this. If you don’t want to delay your divorce – and there are some considerable legal and financial reasons why you shouldn’t delay your divorce – Hello Divorce is the answer you’ve been looking for. 

If you would prefer a more “hand held” approach, our legal document assistants will streamline the entire process for you – start to finish – preparing your documents, sending to you (and your spouse) for e-signature and filing them with the court. 

And to share a silver lining: even if you’re legally separated (thus starting the clock on the mandatory six months of separation California requires before granting a divorce) but still living together due to the pandemic, you can still work through your divorce paperwork to keep the process moving forward. If your separation is amicable, quarantine might even be a good time to work through the financial disclosures together. The faster you complete and file the paperwork after the six-month waiting period, the faster your final decree of divorce will be granted. 

You don’t have to go to court to get a divorce.

The court system won’t be closed forever. Even in spite of our current stay-at-home directive, we believe they will reopen soon and will be able to accept filings in new formats. Some court systems already are. And we expect the rest to follow shortly.

But most importantly: you only ever have to go to court in a divorce if you and your ex have a disagreement that can’t be resolved on your own or with the help of a mediator. At Hello Divorce, our goal is to get you through this process as efficiently and affordably as possible – which means that we do everything in our power to keep you out of court. 

So it actually doesn’t matter that the courts are closed. Because chances are, completing your divorce through Hello Divorce would have kept you out of the courts altogether, anyway. 

See? You can get divorced without leaving the house.

The entire Hello Divorce process is digital. You can get divorced without leaving your home because we’ve already put in the work, designing the tools and resources to help you in a way that is convenient, accessible, and transparent. All of our services are reasonably priced, at a flat-rate fee, because we want you to know exactly what you’ll be getting from us.

The paperwork generating Divorce Navigator is my favorite feature of our service, but another one I’m incredibly proud of is the on-demand access we offer to our top-ranked California divorce lawyers. For a flat-rate fee, in increments of time as little as 30-minutes, you can speak with one of our lawyers about your case. The time is yours and our team will connect with you however it makes the most sense for you. 

We know that you may still be living with your ex, and you may have questions about your case that you don’t want them to hear you ask. That’s why we’re available in any format that is best for you – whether that means a last-minute video chat or a phone call behind closed doors, questions and answers emailed back and forth, or your questions answered via text message – we’re here for you. When, if, and in any format you need to connect.

But, you may not need us at all. (Our DIY tutorials are literally that good.)

This is how to get started

If you’re ready to move forward, we’re ready to help: 

  1. Start by reviewing our membership options. If you’re not sure which one is the right fit, you can sign up for free as a Starter Member to access our free articles, resources and worksheets.
  2. Join at the $99/month DIY Divorce membership and you’ll get free access to the Divorce Navigator, letting you work at your own pace to complete and file all of your divorce paperwork. Cancel any time you want. Join at the Divorce Plus or Divorce with Benefits level and we can prepare and handle everything for you.
  3. Move forward. Complete your divorce paperwork and file it with the court and wait for your divorce judgment to come through. Or take advantage of our flat-rate legal services if issues arise that require legal counsel or you just need some help getting across the finish line.

You will get through this. You can get through this, because Hello Divorce has made online divorce a real, affordable and actionable alternative to the traditional lawyer-on-retainer divorce. 

Let’s get started.

The post Yes, you can still get divorced. Even during a global pandemic. appeared first on Hello Divorce.