Review Summary: OnlineDivorce.com is a legit company located in Bellevue Washington. They are a service of company Pro Se Planning, Inc and were founded on the belief that “people can create their own high quality documents if they have access to good tools and facts”. Although, they do have positive online reviews we feel their website is very dated and not as user friendly as it should be, so we feel that there are much better online divorce services for you to consider. We reviewed their service below for your convenience.
Our Rating: (3.5/5.0 Above Average)
Our Rankings: DivorceWriter.com comes in #4 out of 10 in our “Best Online Divorce Services” rankings. Our #1 recommendation is 3StepDivorce, you can read our detailed review here, or check out 3StepDivorce now >>.
A divorce can be a complicated, messy, and emotionally draining process. But this is not always the case. Sometimes the parties involved agree on terms of separation and just need to file the petition legally.
We look at how DivorceWriter works for situations of uncontested divorces, how well it performs in this capacity, what services it does and doesn’t provide, and how it services its clients’ needs overall.
This review is a helpful resource if you are involved in an uncontested divorce and want to know your options.
What Is DivorceWriter?
DivorceWriter is an online service for couples who have agreed upon terms for their divorce, things like property division and child custody, and want some help facilitating the paperwork.
It is a Pro Se (on your own) legal aid service and started with the idea of saving people time and money by helping them complete their divorce petitions themselves.
It is among the most cost-friendly options and has a price-match guarantee.
Who Is Eligible to Use DivorceWriter?
All married couples who meet residency requirements in their state or Washington DC are eligible. The exception is Missouri, where DivorceWriter is not supported.
It is important to note that DivorceWriter is for married couples seeking an uncontested divorce. If you and your spouse have not settled on all the terms of property division, guardianship of children, alimony, or any other matter, you will need to seek legal advice to work out those issues.
Also, if you are looking for an annulment, you will need to seek an alternative to DivorceWriter, as they do not handle annulments.
Requirements
DivorceWriter.com is a good fit if:
The location of both spouses is known
You and your spouse don't have a lot of assets or you 100% agree on the division of the assests
You and your spouse agree on co-parenting terms (or you don't have children)
You and your spouse are not arguing and both want an amicable divorce, or a mediator is involved and you need to complete your own divorce papers.
Keep in mind, it costs an average of $15,000 in attorney fees if you file for divorce with an attorney. So it is financially a good option to use an online divorce service such as OnlineDivorce.com or 3StepDivorce, which is our #1 choice of online divorce companies.
DivorceWriter conducts an online interview, then populates the required paperwork with the proper answers. When complete, DivorceWriter will send the divorce petition to the customer via email.
You can also have a hard copy mailed via USPS priority mail for a $9 shipping fee. The divorcing parties are then responsible for filing the paperwork and paying any fees associated with that filing, and DivorceWriter provides state-specific guidelines for filing the petition.
It is important to note that DivorceWriter is a service that helps clients complete the divorce petition and provides guidelines on how to file the petition. It does not do the filing, nor does the service cost include any filing fees the state might have.
What’s Included- Features and Functionality
DivorceWriter provides the following:
Settlement agreement
All required forms for state filing
State-specific guidelines for filing the petition
Spousal support
Child support calculator
Parenting plan
Name change
Free unlimited editing for two years
Email customer support
Paperwork accuracy guarantee
Is DivorceWriter Easy to Use?
Simplicity is one of the reasons a couple seeking an uncontested divorce would consider using an online divorce service instead of hiring a lawyer.
So, is it easy to use DivorceWriter? The short answer is yes.
DivorceWriter has a three-step process for filling out a divorce petition online in order to submit to your local divorce courts.
First, petitioners will answer a few questions to determine eligibility for an uncontested divorce. Once that is confirmed, DivorceWriter conducts an online interview to gather the necessary information for the petition.
When the petition is complete, DivorceWriter sends the completed paperwork to you via email, or for a $9 fee, a hard copy via USPS priority mail.
Overall, the process is easy to understand, and the online interview is straightforward and self-explanatory. The navigation is simple enough, and you can typically finish the entire process within an hour.
The website does feel a little dated, however. I would have expected to see more links to get you where you needed to go, and the homepage is a little text-heavy.
Despite this, it didn’t cause confusion or difficulty in getting the job done.
Editing Capabilities
If you need to add or change any information, DivorceWriter gives you two years to amend your petition. Editing is as easy as going back through the online interview and changing answers accordingly.
Two years may seem like overkill. Still, it is better to have more time than you need rather than trying to fix an issue only to find that you can’t get to your petition to make the changes.
Customer Support
Part of being a budget-conscious option is that customer support is limited to email and FAQs. DivorceWriter does not have live customer support and does not offer in-depth legal support. They will answer the broad questions regarding and limited to the petition itself.
That being said, DivorceWriter gets high marks for answering questions and resolving issues quickly and successfully.
Guarantee
DivorceWriter guarantees that they will fill out the petition correctly for the state in which you are seeking the divorce. They also offer state-specific guidance for how to properly file your petition, including info on fees and timelines, if applicable.
They also guarantee the lowest price for their service and will price match if you find a lower-cost option.
In What States is DivorceWriter Available?
You can use DivorceWriter.com to get a divorce in all 50 states in America.
Because the website revolves around helping you to complete the online divorce forms that need to be filed to end a legal marriage, it’s a question of answering all the required questions that are asked during the questionnaire to make sure all the information that a given state requires is complete.
Pro Tip: Remember that these services are only available if the divorce is uncontested. If both spouses agree on the divorce terms, you can use OnlineDivorce.com or our top recommendation 3StepDivorce.
While everyone moves at different paces through the paperwork, generally speaking, you can finish the petition within 30 min to 1 hour.
If you choose to have the petition emailed to you, the transfer happens within a couple of minutes. You can also have a hard copy delivered by USPS priority mail for a $9 fee.
After that, it’s up to you to finish the process by filing the petition and paying the according fees.
How Much Does DivorceWriter Cost?
With a one-time fee of $229 (with children) or $199 (without children) the service seems to be priced in the middle of the road.
However, they usually run special prices of $137 and at that price point DivorceWriter is the least expensive option for an online divorce. Also, they have a price match guarantee, so they will match a cheaper rate.
Is DivorceWriter Legitimate?
Yes, DivorceWriter will send you a legitimate, legally binding divorce petition completed correctly. If the court rejects any part of the petition for whatever reason, DivorceWriter will fix it for free and send you the amended petition.
Remember, DivorceWriter is not a service that provides legal advice. What they do provide is a divorce petition that is accurately filled out and ready to file.
DivorceWriter Reviews Online
The user reviews for DivorceWriter are primarily favorable. 84% of user reviews come in at four to 5 stars. The overall average among several review sites was 4.5 stars
The consensus is that DivorceWriter is a fast, easy, hassle-free way to get your paperwork completed. In the positive reviews, users overwhelmingly complimented the ease with which they could fill out the forms and the relief they felt at getting through the process so quickly.
The top reasons for giving a 5-star review were how easy it was to use and how fast it was to complete.
Many users also commented on how it relieved some of the stress of a divorce by making it an easy and quick process.
Other comments on the 4 and 5 star reviews included easily changing the paperwork when necessary and having questions answered quickly in a clear, understandable way.
Here are a couple of examples of what the 5-star reviewers had to say:
This review is typical of the kind of experience that 5-star reviewers had: a quick and easy process that gets you through a challenging experience with minimal hassles.
This review highlights what some customers had to say about needing to revise their petition. Users also liked that revisions can be made for up to two years if a settlement between spouses runs into snags.
About 5% of the reviews were in the middle, 3-star range. The main issues raised were the clunky website, paperwork errors, and poor access to customer support.
Another common issue spread across the one to three-star reviews was not receiving the paperwork promptly. This seemed to be exclusively for those who ordered a hard copy of the petition..
This was not a common complaint overall, but it was faulty common in the 3-star reviews
While some of the 5-star reviews mentioned great customer service, many of the 3-star and lower reviews had difficult experiences.
Also, errors in the paperwork was a common refrain, although many 4 and 5-star reviews mentioned and said they were fixed quickly and easily
Roughly 10-11% of reviews earned a 1 or 2 star rating.
The vast majority of these reviews were of two varieties. The paperwork had not arrived, and the website was misleading about what it offered.
In almost all the bad reviews studied, it appeared to be an error or lack of understanding on the customers’ part. Many times a customer would give a 1-star review stating that they had not received their paperwork in the mail when it had only been a couple of days.
This is a good example of a complaint of not receiving the documents.
Below is an example of another typical one-star review, where the customer felt that DivorceWriter had misrepresented their service.
The overwhelming message from customer reviews was that DivorceWriter was a fast, easy, hassle-free, and inexpensive way to get petition documents ready for a divorce filing.
The main complaints were slow delivery time for hard copies of documents and errors, outdated forms, or info that needed correction.
Pros and Cons of DivorceWriter
Pros
User-friendly process
Lowest price of any online divorce service
Money-back guarantee
Guaranteed court acceptance
State-by-state guidelines for court filing
2-year petition revision period
Option for instant email delivery or 3-4 day USPS priority mail
Cons
No live support, email only
Website is outdated
No options for legal advice
Court filing fees not included
$9 shipping fee to mail completed documents to you
Service not available in Missouri
DivorceWriter Competitors
When looking to use an online divorce service, you have options. Some companies that offer a similar service to DivorceWriter include 3StepDivorce, and Complete Case and It's Over Easy.
These other sites all provide similar service as DivorceWriter, including state filing guidance, money-back guarantees, name change, and a period for amending your petition but their user interface and experience is much improved over DivorceWriter.com
3StepDivorce.com
This competitor is another document preparation website that specializes in helping their users fill out the legal forms they need to finalize their divorces.
3StepDivorce.com is highly regarded as the best online divorce option you can choose. Overall, you will find their website to be very easy to use, affordable and your divorce documents can be completed quickly.
Additionally, their customer service is best in class and you will have access to additional value-added services such as their “divorce negotiation platform” which is extremely helpful for divorcing spouses.
This is why they are our top pick of all the online divorce websites we reviewed.
CompleteCase.com is another one of the better online divorce options you can choose, it is not the cheapest or the best overall in our rankings but still a solid choice.
They boast that they have over 700,000 customers in the last 20+ years of being in business.
While they do have some mixed reviews online, these should be read and evaluated by you before making a final decision. We did a review of CompleteCase's service here for your convenience.
ItsOverEasy.com
ItsOverEasy.com is positioning itself as a premium online divorce service for those that want more hands-off options.
Because of the premium “white-glove” service they offer, they also have a premium price tag. Keep in mind, the cost is still far below what using a divorce attorney would cost. We reviewed ItsOverEasy.com's service here for you to check out.
Pro Tip: We did a full ranking and review of all the best online divorce services that are available today. If you are considering using this type of service for your uncontested divorce, please check out these reviews to make an informed decision before you make a purchase. Check out our review of the top 10 now >>
DivorceWriter Alternatives
In weighing your options for a divorce, It’s important to know what sort of assistance you need. Understanding the work ahead and the choices you have will help guide your decision on how to handle your divorce.
If you and your spouse have not agreed on all the terms of separation, like property division, alimony, and custody rights, then a service like DivorceWriters is not for you.
In this situation, you will likely want to hire an attorney to advocate your case. The average cost for a divorce in the US is $8,000-$15,000, depending on the state.
However, this includes using attorneys for uncontested divorces, which are generally much less expensive. Costs for a contested divorce can be $10,000-$12,000 or more per spouse.
Another option for settling a divorce is divorce mediation. With this process, a trained mediator will work with both parties to arrive at a mutually agreed-upon settlement.
It is generally less expensive and more congenial than a traditional divorce involving lawyers, with an average cost of $3,000-$8,000, depending on the state.
You can also hire an attorney to write the uncontested divorce petition for you like DivorceWriter would do. This option typically costs between $1,500-$4,000, including all attorneys and filing fees.
A final option, if you and your spouse have agreed upon all terms, would be to get the paperwork from the courthouse and fill everything out yourself.
This is the cheapest option since you only have to pay the nominal filing fee, but it can be risky. The paperwork can be opaque and full of legalese or confusing directions and language.
The procedure for filing a divorce petition varies by locality, and DivorceWriter has guidance for your county and/or state available on the website.
How quickly will I get my forms?
If you opt for an email version of your petition, it should arrive within hours of completing your online interview. If you prefer to have a physical copy mailed to you, DivorceWriter will send them via USPS priority mail, which typically takes 2-3 business days. Be aware that this time frame is not guaranteed, and it can take longer.
How can I review my documents?
DivorceWriter will send your documents via email, or if you prefer, they will mail them to you via USPS for an additional $9 charge. You can review them when you have them in hand, and you also have two years to review and amend your documents through the website.
Is the DivorceWriter website secure?
Yes, the website is secure. They use SSL encryption, and they do not sell your personal information to any other parties. DivorceWriter does not share your personal information except when necessary to complete the divorce petition.
How long can I access my account?
You will be able to access and edit the information on your account for free for two years after your initial online interview.
What if I don’t have answers to all the questions on the questionnaire?
DivorceWriter needs all the information asked in the online interview to complete your divorce petition properly. If you start the process and realize you need to gather more information to answer the questions, DivorceWriter will let you pick up where you left off.
Do I have to answer all the questions?
Yes, DivorceWriter needs all the questions answered accurately to complete the divorce petition correctly.
What if my spouse and I can’t agree on how to answer a question?
DivorceWriter is a service for couples who are proceeding with an uncontested divorce. This means that they have agreed upon all the terms of the divorce. If you and your spouse cannot agree on how to answer a question, it may be advisable to consult an attorney to help you out or perhaps to use divorce mediation.
How do I contact DivorceWriter if I have questions?
You can contact DivorceWriter on their website or email them with any questions at [email protected].
Final Thoughts
Every year, the US sees almost 750,000 divorces. While some of these are complicated and involve couples in a heated argument over property, custody, and money, many include people who just realize that they no longer want to be together and need to find a way to end the marriage quickly and amicably.
If you are the latter, then DivorceWriters is worth a closer look. They offer a high-quality service without all the extras and at the lowest price point in the industry.
Lauren Cook-McKay is the Vice President of Marketing at DivorceAnswers.com. She holds a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) from the University of San Diego and applies her training in private practice to helping couples struggling in their marriage. She believes there is hope in all marriages and strives to provide therapy to couples that will lead them back towards a loving marriage, or an amicable divorce that brings peace and closure.
