14292 Double Dutch Cir
Parker, Colorado 80134
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The biggest challenges are figuring out the legal process for divorce for each state we move to and incorporating last minute feedback from user testing.
Using the agile project management method, we can quickly incorporate the feedback to make a new iteration of the prototype to be ready for multiple testing rounds.
We are able to meet the launch date and are partner with Hello Divorce to meet the goal of increasing access to affordable legal services.
In 2020, A2J Tech was automating the divorce process in Colorado to combat the increased demand for speedy divorce due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We reached out to Hello Divorce due to their legal experience with launching a similar product in California. Our partnership started in Colorado, and we’ve been automating and project managing with Hello Divorce ever since.
Hello Divorce provides a low cost solution to uncontested divorces without the cost of an attorney. To aid in their nationwide expansion, A2J Tech records the legal process for divorce in the state and the document automation of all the court forms needed for the divorce process. One of the biggest challenges is always figuring out the divorce process for each state we move to. This requires creating flow charts for each step that someone would need to go through to get a divorce in the state. The steps usually include:
1. Petition: filing for the petition divorce usually starts the divorce process in most states, other states include other forms like the settlement agreement for uncontested divorces.
2. Service: this step notifies the spouse of the divorce; sometimes this step is waived for uncontested divorces.
3. Sharing Financial Information: most states require both spouses to share their financial information to help distribute property and determine alimony and child support if there are kids.
4. Final Judgment: this is the final step in the divorce process and in some states, couples do not need to attend the court hearing.
Additionally, for each step, we record each form that needs to be filed in order to complete each step.
Hello Divorce then enlists legal experts, paralegals or attorneys, to make sure we account for each step and form needed to complete each step. With legal expert help, we can ensure that the legal process we have takes into account local county rules and potentially rules out forms and steps not needed for uncontested divorces. Once this is finalized, we then begin the document automation process. Document Automation pre-populates word documents with answers provided by a user answering simple questions. A2J Tech creates the questionnaires for each step and automates the forms. The user will only see the questions and the generated documents.
Although we investigate and record the legal process and confirm our findings with a legal expert, most often than not, people need a prototype to ensure everything is taken into account. Usually, by the time we do our testing with the legal expert, we find gaps in the legal process, like missing forms or additional steps, that we need to account for, which poses another challenge in this project.
This is where our team’s skills beat out all other document automation specialists. We have attorneys turned developers doing the legal research on navigating the divorce process and noting forms to automate along the way. This is also where our developer and project management skills shine. Using the agile project management method, we can quickly incorporate the feedback to make a new iteration of the prototype to be ready for multiple testing rounds. Although we are also working with other clients, we ensure that our developers do not have multiple deadlines to meet during this launch period.
Doing our own legal research prepares us for our meetings with legal experts and also plans our project timeline. Additionally, making these preliminary resources for Hello Divorce helps them make their divorce resources for their clients. We are able to launch the product! Being able to launch a product after months of building, iterating, and testing is not only gratifying for our team at A2J Tech, but the best part about the launch is providing people in the state an affordable solution for uncontested divorces without the attorney price tag. We are proud to partner with Hello Divorce in increasing access to affordable legal services!
