The tech world is overpopulated with apps that help you find love in all forms — from a one-night stand to a like-minded life partner. But what happens if you marry that perfect match from OkCupid and he turns out to be a dud?
Since virtually everything else has been made accessible online, why not divorces? One New York City woman was allowed to file divorce papers to her estranged husband on Facebook, but only after she had exhausted every other avenue. The creators of Separate.us, the revolutionary new divorce app, want to streamline this virtual divorce process so anyone can do it with as little fuss and money as possible.
More: A divorced woman responds to divorced man’s ‘epic marriage’ advice
Now that is a pretty disruptive start up idea: divorce made easy > Separate.US :-/ #TCDisruptpic.twitter.com/gXx3LoPgsR
— Jay Dutta (@jdallcaps) September 22, 2015
The app was launched two days ago at TechCrunch Disrupt SF by founders Sandro Tuzzo and Larry Maloney. Their goal is to take the middleman (aka the lawyer) out of the divorce process, thereby making it much cheaper and less unpleasant overall.
Essentially what the app does is translate all the complicated legal jargon into layman’s terms so you can go through them yourself without a lawyer’s help. Now, if you have a significant number of factors that will make your divorce more complicated (children, multiple properties, etc.), then you might still want a lawyer to help you with negotiations. However, if you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are parting ways amicably, this could be the perfect app for you.
More: 7 Things that make you more likely to get divorced
Other divorce apps are already on the market, but none charge as little as Separate.us. In fact, one called Wevorce charges around $10,000 per divorce. I’d say, unless one of you is hiding a secret stash of gold bullion, you might want to try the $99 option first.
The app does offer to help you connect with lawyers for certain aspects of your divorce proceedings if you feel you need to consult one. It also makes sure those lawyers have fixed price consultations so you don’t unknowingly end up getting gouged.
The app is currently still being beta tested and is only available in California, but you can get on its mailing list to receive updates on if and when the creators plan to expand their market. Should the app take off, Tuzzo plans to make other online legal help available through his company Legal Passage. Some of the services he plans to offer are will-drafting and settling household disputes.
More: More couples are living together after getting divorced
Going through a divorce is not fun no matter how you slice it. However, an inexpensive online app that simplifies everything might help make the process a little easier on everyone involved. Apps like Separate.us could be the beginning of looking at divorce in a whole new way. Now all it needs to do is connect you to a good therapist and that company that sends you a hot guy to dry your tears.
Leave a Comment