No One Dies from Divorce

Erin Levine: Seeing More Than Divorce and Opening the Access to Justice for All

September 13, 2021 Jill Coil Season 1 Episode 13
No One Dies from Divorce
Erin Levine: Seeing More Than Divorce and Opening the Access to Justice for All
Show Notes

Erin Levine is disrupting the legal industry with her online divorce support platform, Hello Divorce. Join us for a discussion about the lack of access to justice that currently exists and what we’re both trying to do to solve it.

Erin’s current projects include raising her two daughters, Zoe and Mia, along with managing the national roll out of Hello Divorce’s products and services. You can find her on social media @hellodivorce.

Both Jill and Erin have similar goals in closing the access to justice gap for people trying to get divorced. They felt stuck because they could only help the one on a day-to-day basis with their clients. We were both frustrated with how expensive getting divorced was, and how hard it was for normal people to navigate the legalities of divorce and get quality divorce documents drafted.

80% of divorces in the US have at least 1 party who does not have an attorney. They are trying to navigate one of the most complex contracts we will ever enter into—a marriage contract. Divorce decrees are one of the most complicated legal documents, so to do that alone is unfathomable.

Let’s change the conversation around divorce. No one gets married thinking they will get divorced, but it can also be exactly what we need to move forward. We don’t need to shy around the word or topic of divorce.

A big issue we’ve faced as divorce attorneys is fixing bad decrees. When people try to create their own with no divorce experience or legal background, or are following bad or general advice from the internet, you often end up with a bad divorce decree that won’t be able to be correctly interpreted down the road when issues arise. Erin has created an online platform and structure for people to get the help and support they need to get through the legalities of divorce. Jill has created the technology for quality divorce decrees to be drafted, based on your circumstances. So we’re trying to help people get quality divorce decrees, without the expensive retained attorney, in the first place so you don’t have to go to court later.

Law is one of the last industries to be disrupted by technology. We know what the client needs, so why wouldn’t we as attorneys embrace technology and create quality ways for people to get quality divorce decrees. We still recommend consulting with an attorney initially. But then you can go do it yourself using some new tools like Hello Divorce and SimpleEnding. There are options! Not everyone needs to retain a lawyer. 

Divorce forms are in legalese and complicated. A lot of online services or resources out there aren’t actually helping you fill those out but just letting you download blank forms or auto-generating blanket forms. If you try to take those general or poorly written decrees to court later on when you’re trying to get your ex to follow something, the court won’t be able to help you because the language is too ambiguous or broad. We’re trying to provide a more quality alternative that is specific and uses attorney experience and language so that the court can actually help you get sanctions on your ex or get orders to be carried out legally. And it’s much less expensive than retaining an attorney.

Laws are different in each state. So you have to work with an attorney in your specific state, or the technology has to work for each individual state. You need help understanding the forms and wording but also the local laws and procedures. 

There’s been exciting strides the past few years in legal technology, but we’re probably still years or decades away from where we need to go. The system has been built to protect attorneys’ careers and ability to earn money instead of focusing on the needs of the consumer. Consumers are pushing for change. Billable hours don’t work for the majority of cases.