| Approximate Cost: | Most are in the range of $300-$1100; A couple are as high as $2500-$3500; Another Group Claim $139-169 is the Total Price But Has Many Hidden Fees, such as a $40 monthly storage fee , 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 | $3500-$7500 +++ retainer fee, but then they work off that retainer at $450-$750 per hour as fast as possible to get you onto a billable hourly rate at $450-$750 per hour. All services, whether you need them or not are drastically oversold and over-charged. | $700-$1500; Each ODL Independently Owned and Operated; Compare Terms; Some ODL’s Charge Around $700-$800 for Their Basic Doc-Review Package INCLUDING Legal Advice PLUS All of the Advantages Listed Below |
| Education: | Unknown – None Required | College Degree and Law Degree | College Degree and Law Degree |
| Professional Qualifications: | None Required | Bar Exam | Bar Exam |
| Professional Association: | None | Your State’s Bar Association; | Your State’s Bar Association;
Online Divorce Association of America |
| Code of Ethics: | None | Strong Enforced State Bar Code of Ethics | Strong Enforced State Bar Code of Ethics |
| Licensing: | None | Strong State Lawyer Licensing | Strong State Lawyer Licensing |
| Continuing Legal Education: | None | Strict State Bar CLE Requirements | Strict State Bar CLE Requirements |
| Location: | Often in Another State or India | Your Home Town | 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; If Things Go Wrong, You’re On Your Own | Huge Accountability Through YOUR State’s Bar Association’s Strongly Enforced Complaint Procedure | Huge Accountability Through YOUR State’s Bar Association’s Strongly Enforced Complaint Procedure |
| 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 | Professional-Level Knowledge of Your State’s Laws and Your County’s Rules of Court and Local Court Policies |
| Wicked Cool Online Divorce Software: | Yes | No | Yes |
| Prepares ALL of Your Legal Docs: | No – State Forms Only – No Local County Forms – Every Case Has Local County Forms | Yes | Yes |
| Legally Able To Provide Legal Advice: | No | Yes | Yes |
| Performs An Analysis of Your Legal and Economic Rights in Your Case: | No – Not Qualified: But Doesn’t Do It Anyway; Some Will Up-Sell You to Local Lawyers for Legal Advice or Other Legal Services at ADDITIONAL cost, but Only AFTER You Are Fully Paid | Yes | Yes |
| 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 – Required By Strongly Enforced Bar Code of Ethics | Yes – Required By Strongly Enforced Bar Code of Ethics |
| Available to Meet: | Never | Yes – Subject to Appointment | Yes – Subject to Appointment |
| Flat Fee: | Always Claimed, but Often There is Rampant Up-Selling of Undisclosed “Expedited” Service Or Other Add-ons; Some Fees Claimed to be Complete are MONTHLY Fees | No. Will drastically over-sell all services, whether needed or not; Will tell you that ALL additional services are required and will scare you to death about all consequences of not paying them more. | 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; Why Not Start With That Local Lawyer at Similar Cost and Be Covered for All Risks? | Fully Scalable – but they will attempt to scale ALL services at ALL times; They know how much money you have, and they want it. You are in a very weak position strategically. | Fully Scalable – MOST Online Divorce Lawyers Offer unbundled document review services; All offer Full Representation. Most Offer Mediation, QDRO and Other Potential Legal Services. All Costs Fully Disclosed in Writing Up-front with You, the Well-informed Client, Controlling All Costs. |
