Uncontested Divorce in California – Compare Online Divorce PRO to Divorce Mills
The table below compares Online Divorce PRO service through a California licensed and bonded Legal Document Assistant in your town to the service provided by unlicensed, unregulated online divorce mills out-of-state or in India. Consider the differences carefully in your California uncontested divorce below before making your hiring decision.
| FEATURES | Unlicensed Unregulated Online Divorce Mill | Local California-Licensed Legal Document Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Approximate Cost: | Most Charge $300-$4500; Others Claim $139-$169 is the Total Price But Have Many Hidden Fees, such as a monthly fee of $40 after the first 30 days, a $125 “Expedite” fee (or you have to wait 10-12 days to get your docs) or a $199 “Premium Package” Fee; Constant Up-Selling; They hit your credit card every month for their monthly fee until you cancel. Monthly fees are subject to change without notice to you. You CANNOT know what your total fee will be. | $500-$900; Each LDA Independently Owned and Operated; Compare Terms; With California-licensed LDA’s, you will always know your cost up front. |
| Education: | Unknown – None Required | High School Diploma Plus 2 Years Supervision by a Licensed Lawyer or College Degree and 1 Year of Supervision by a Licensed Lawyer |
| Professional Qualifications: | None Required | As Above or a Certificate of Completion from a Paralegal Program |
| Professional Association: | None | California Association of Legal Document Assistants |
| Code of Ethics: | None | California Association of Legal Document Assistants Code of Ethics |
| Licensing: | None | County Licensing and Bonding |
| Continuing Legal Education: | None | Mandatory Continuing Legal Education |
| Location: | Almost Always in Another State, India, Ukraine or Mexico | Your Home Town |
| Accountability: | None UNLESS they are located in your state; Maybe Through THEIR Local District Attorney or State Attorney General for Blatant Consumer Fraud, but Very Difficult For You to Pursue; Also, No DA’s in India, Ukraine or Mexico; If Things Go Wrong, You’re On Your Own | Huge Accountability Through YOUR County Clerk’s Office |
| Local Knowledge of Laws, Rules of Court and Local Court Policies: | Unknown; High Risk; Hit or Miss; Low-Quality Training; High Turnover of Untrained Low-level Staff | Professional-Level Knowledge of Your State’s Laws and Your County’s Rules of Court and Local Court Policies |
| Wicked Cool Online Divorce Software: | Unknown but Very Unlikely; Online Divorce Software is State-Specific and Expensive to Buy or Create; For How Many States Will a Divorce Mill in Ukraine Get Genuine High Quality Online Divorce Software? Your Personal Data is Much More Likely to Get Manually Cut-and-Pasted Onto California Divorce Forms by Somebody’s Granny in Ukraine or Mumbai; The Risks to Your Financial Data Are Huge. | Yes – Online Divorce PRO California-Specific Software |
| Prepares ALL of Your Legal Docs: | No – State Forms Only – No Local County Forms – Every Case Has Local County Forms | Yes |
| Legally Able To Provide Legal Advice: | No | No |
| Performs An Analysis of Your Legal and Economic Rights in Your Case: | No | No |
| Responsive Client Support – Returns Calls and Emails Promptly: | Generally No; Low-Quality or No Customer Support; No Reason To Provide Quality Support; High Turnover of Low-Quality Untrained Staff; You’re On Your Own | Yes – Strongly Enforced Code of Ethics |
| Available to Meet: | Never | Yes – Subject to Appointment |
| Flat Fee: | Always Claimed, but Often There is Rampant Up-Selling of Undisclosed “Expedited” Service Or Other Add-ons | Yes; ALL Fees Must Be Disclosed In Advance And Agreed By You in Writing |
| Scalable Services: | No – If You Need Legal Advice or Additional Legal Services Such As Mediation or a QDRO, or If Your Case Blows Up, They Will Up-Sell You To a Local Lawyer Who Has Subscribed Your Zip Code and Pays for the Referral; In Other Words, the Divorce Mill Gets Paid TWICE if a Problem Arises in Your Case. Think About That! | Fully Scalable – Many LDA’s Work With and Refer to Local Lawyers; Many LDA’s Also Provide Additional Family Law Services |