Legal Tech Platform Hello Divorce Raises $2M in Seed Round Funding to Disrupt the Broken Divorce Process

Leading online divorce startup will use the funds to further expand nationally and offer services to meet the financial needs of divorcing consumers

News provided by

Hello Divorce

Jul 29, 2021, 13:34 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., July 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hello Divorce, the leading legal tech platform for affordable, less-stressful divorces, today announced a seed investment of $2 million led by disruptive tech investor CEAS, with additional funds coming from Lightbank, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, Gaingels, Jack Newton, CEO and Co-Founder of Clio, Lisa Stone, WRG Managing Director, former Founder/CEO of BlogHer and CSO/Elevest, and Equity ESQ led by Ed Diab. With this seed round, the company plans on rapidly scaling legal filing options across the U.S., improving its ground-breaking product, and giving consumers more of the content and services they need to feel informed and in control of their divorce process.

Founded in 2018 by family law attorney Erin Levine, Hello Divorce gives clients lawyer results without the lawyer cost with a combination of software and accessible legal services, keeping consumers involved in the process and out of the court. With Hello Divorce, clients pay as little as $99 for a do-it-yourself option or up to an average of $2,000 for legal help along the way to finish their divorce in a third of the time – completely remote – giving families more time to regroup and thrive. Clients can leverage divorce advisors who help file the correct forms accurately and efficiently, saving clients the stress of re-dos and misfiles. Legal help is always there when consumers need it, with family law experts available to take their calls.

"CEAS is proud to back the team at Hello Divorce and their vision for a divorce process that sets people up for a better future no matter their circumstance. Erin's success in the family law field and her drive to create a better solution for millions has led to Hello Divorce becoming a trusted resource for those going through a hard and emotional transition. We look forward to continuing to work with Erin and her team as they use technology to simplify a complicated process," says Ronnie Martinez, VC Associate at CEAS Investments.

Hello Divorce was started in 2018 and has grown 100 percent year over year, with divorce success rates of 95 percent after starting the process on the platform. Approximately 2 million people get divorced each year, with $50 billion spent annually on the entire industry.

"The legal system is stacked against us," said Erin Levine, CEO of Hello Divorce. "It's outdated, confusing, inefficient, and encourages animosity. Hello Divorce reduces fear and builds trust by hand-holding divorcing spouses through the complicated process without talking down to them. This results in not only a phenomenally easier legal path, but the opportunity for a healthier, happier next chapter."

Top lawyers and legal tech innovators across the country are backing Hello Divorce because of the company's mission to change the way people perceive and experience divorce, a process that roughly 50 percent of married couples face in their lifetime.

"Hello Divorce has dramatically simplified the cumbersome and oftentimes emotionally charged process of getting a divorce by leveraging technology to provide an effortless experience at every stage of the client journey," said Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio. "Erin and her team are increasing access to justice, and are enabling people to move to a more positive future chapter of their lives."

"My parents divorced when I was a child and the Hello Divorce platform would have been so beneficial to them in managing the divorce process and achieving a fair outcome that they could afford," said Joseph Schieffer, CEO of A2J Tech. "I want people that are going through a divorce to know that there are people who understand what they are going through and are working tirelessly to develop better and more affordable solutions."

With the vast majority of Americans unable to afford meaningful legal assistance, Hello Divorce is committed to providing affordable access to justice for divorcing Americans that makes the process clear and transparent. In addition, the company is looking beyond the legal end of marriage to expand its services to help ex-spouses navigate their new financial and parenting realities post-divorce.

The service is already revenue-generating and available in four states (CA, CO, TX, UT), with more on the way. And the potential market is huge: Approximately 2 million people get divorced each year, with $50 billion spent annually on the entire industry.

"No one should be bankrupted by divorce," Levine said. "And no one should stay in an unhappy or unhealthy marriage simply because they can't afford it. The research is clear: Both adults and children fare far better post-divorce when there's less conflict and uncertainty about finances or relationships. Divorce is not the end of a family – it's simply a reorganization. And the more education and affordable services we provide, the more we will see our communities thrive."

Please find hi-res founder photos, logo, and product screenshots HERE. Additional assets available upon request.

About Hello Divorce
Hello Divorce 's mission is fixing the broken and expensive divorce process with a combination of software and accessible, easy-to-understand, affordable legal services. Using both self-service and guided processes, with the option of accessing a lawyer if needed, clients can remove a lot of the stress and mess of the typical "lawyer up immediately" (i.e., expensive and hostile) model, resulting in a quicker, more equitable, and less fear-driven outcome.

SOURCE Hello Divorce