San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Boise, and Asheville, NC.
The company’s software walks families through the process, cutting out the cost of assistants and paralegals that are often part of the system. Having a single lawyer also brings the cost down. The average divorce costs about $27,000, Crosby says, but most Wevorce families finish the process for less than $10,000, though charges range between $3,000 and $15,000.
But adding technology to streamline divorce doesn’t mean families are going through the process without the help of real human beings. “We’re high tech, high-touch,” Crosby says. “We really believe when going through divorce, [families] need someone to touch base with to get through the process. “ For Crosby, it’s about providing a more humane way for families to navigate what can be a very contentious and scarring process.
So far, of the 100 families that Wevorce has worked with, only one has had to go to court.
Companies like Berkeley, CA-based Nolo have long offered do-it-yourself legal kits, and there are at least a couple of other legal startups in the tech space, such as LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer. But Wevorce is alone in its mission to take on divorce. “Lawyers don’t like new technology,” Crosby says. “We’ve had to design it to make it so user friendly. We have one of the hardest user groups out there.”
Starting the company has also been helpful for Crosby’s family. As the divorced child of a divorced couple, she’s lived every aspect of the process. And now her endeavor has forced a lot of conversations in her own family about how her own parents can successfully co-grandparent her brother’s children. “We call it ‘operation don’t pass it on,’” she says. “We have to make sure this doesn’t impact generations to come.”
