There’s a company out there that’s just raised $2 million for an app that helps you divorce. That made us think back to the “there’s an app for that” commercial. When it first came out, it seemed like all kinds of companies were figuring out ways people could make their lives easier or better via their phones. And while apps can provide a lot of solutions, we remain skeptical — and for good reason — that an app can be as good as a lawyer.
The company doing this is called Hello Divorce, and Texas is one of the four states in which the app’s currently available. According to an article in TechCrunch, family law attorney Erin Levine founded the company in 2018, characterizing lawyers as “the keeper[s] of information,” and thought that an app could give couples the support they needed while “using technology and fixed fees” to address the conflict that she says the current system creates.
We’re all for couples feeling supported in a divorce or any other family law situation — our “fierce, compassionate lawyers” motto reflects the commitment we have to our clients. We’ve often noted in our blog the importance of making sure that your emotional needs are met throughout the divorce process, and counselors play an important role in that.
But there’s also something helpful about being able to sit across from your lawyer, be it in an office or over Zoom, ask questions in real time, and know that you’re being heard. The idea of lawyers holding information doesn’t quite tell the whole story. At the Law Office of Lisa A. Vance, we have experienced family lawyers who know the law, have been through a number of cases, and can apply what they’ve learned over the years to your case.
We value our meetings with clients because they help give us insights — we can take knowledge we’ve gathered along the way and use what applies to your case. While we already know a lot about family law and how to settle cases, every case we take on makes us better and more knowledgeable.
A quick look at the company’s website offers, at maximum in its “Divorce Plus” package, “two hours of legal coaching with an experienced lawyer for advice, strategy, creative problem solving, reviewing/revising agreements, and/or mediation consulting.” If two hours is all you need through a divorce, modification, or custody issue, that’s fantastic!
But our experience is that people need a lot more time than that — in part because in the course of a divorce or other family law case, things can change dramatically. People can get new clarity on what they want as well as what they’re entitled to by law, the other party can throw a wrench in the works, or new information can surface that needs to be accounted for.
One thing that was interesting to us in the article is she picked Texas because it “does not have a streamlined way for same-sex couples to get divorces,” which is “something she wanted to tackle.” As an LGTBQ-friendly law firm, we’ve worked on same-sex divorce and custody cases, and we know how Texas law applies specifically to those kinds of cases. For us, it’s not just something that we’re curious to try our hand at — it’s part of what defines our law firm.
We can’t promise to be as fast or at your fingertips as your favorite apps, but we’re guessing you don’t want those things out of a divorce. If you want a purposeful first consultation that will move you toward a strategy, a thorough legal team empowered to move your case forward, and a lawyer able to advocate on your behalf be it in the courtroom or through an alternative mode of divorce, call the Law Office of Lisa A. Vance to get started.