In this post, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the best California online divorce services – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
They all make virtually the same promises – easy to use, guaranteed acceptance by the court, stellar customer service, and the list goes on.
But how many of them actually deliver? And which one is right for you?
After spending dozens of hours doing in-depth research and testing, that’s exactly what I’m going to share with you today.
Top Online Divorce Services in California
Let’s dive into our reviews of the top 10 online divorce companies available in California.
I won’t sugarcoat it. Some of these companies are absolutely terrible. I’ve included the more popular of these so you won’t make the same mistake others have.
While there are some services that you should steer clear of at all costs, there are others that can help you have a cheap, quick divorce that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
The Winners
The chosen few. Here are the online divorce services that stand head and shoulders above the rest.
1. Hello Divorce – Editor’s Choice (Best Overall)
When it comes to online divorce services, Hello Divorce stands out from the crowd.
So what sets it apart? In a word: flexibility.
The reality is it’s hard to know exactly what to expect when you’re going through a divorce.
Will your spouse cooperate? What’s the process? Do you really need legal and financial help? Do you need a helping hand to reach agreements with your spouse?
These questions may seem impossible to answer. And even if you think you know what to expect, divorce has a way of throwing you a curveball when you least expect it.
That’s what makes Hello Divorce so unique.
You see, the other DIY divorce services are one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter solutions. Sure, they will help you complete the forms – but what happens if and when you run into a roadblock?
With Hello Divorce, you decide the level of help you need. Choose the plan that works best for you – and get access to experienced lawyers, mediators, and Certified Divorce Financial Analysts “on-demand” if you need additional support.
It’s the best of both worlds.
Plus, at only $99, their DIY Divorce plan is the lowest-priced option on the market.
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The Bottom Line: If you can’t tell, I’m a raving fan of Hello Divorce. If you’re considering an online divorce, do yourself a favor and schedule a free 15-minute strategy session.
Read our Hello Divorce review here.
2. 3StepDivorce (#2 Overall)
There’s a lot to like about 3StepDivorce. In fact, I believe 3StepDivorce is the best online divorce service available in all 50 states.
3StepDivorce is an easy and affordable service that helps you prepare your state-specific divorce forms within an hour. This is the place to turn if you want to complete your divorce documents as quickly as possible.
Simply follow the step-by-step instructions, answer the questions, and voila! Your completed forms are available instantly to review, edit, and download/print. If you don’t have a printer, you can have your documents mailed to you at no additional charge.
How much does 3 Step Divorce cost?
At $299, 3 Step Divorce is very reasonably priced.
They’re one of the only companies to offer flexible monthly payments options. Plus, you can get a $50 cash rebate if you file your divorce papers within one business day of signing up.
The best part is there are no hidden fees – like monthly subscription charges, shipping fees, or costs for revisions. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for many of their competitors.
Reviews
It’s easy to see why 3 Step Divorce is runner-up for the best online divorce service in California.
But don’t just take my word for it. 3 Step Divorce has the top-rated customer reviews around. One of the things that stands out is just how few people had a poor experience with 3StepDivorce. 92% of users gave 3SStepDivorce 4- or 5-stars, while only 4% gave it 1- or 2-stars.
Quick Facts
- Complete your divorce forms within 1 hour
- Instantly review, edit, and print your completed documents (free delivery by mail is also available)
- 100% guarantee of court approval or your money back
- Unlimited live customer support by phone and email
- Over 750,000 customers since the company started in 1997
- Easy to use with simple instructions and helpful explanations
- Tons of great free resources like the online divorce organizer and 40+ self-help divorce ebooks
- Online negotiation tools (to help you and your spouse reach agreements)
- Best customer reviews (4.6 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot)
- Private and secure (Verisign encryption and McAfee Secure)
- A+ rating with the BBB
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Bottom Line: 3 Step Divorce is a solid runner-up. In fact, we ranked 3 Step Divorce as Best Overall in our review of the Best Online Divorce Services nationwide – but that’s only because Hello Divorceis only available in a handful of states. If you’re looking for the fastest path to completing your divorce, get started with 3StepDivorce now.
Read our complete 3 Step Divorce review here.
3. CompleteCase (#3 Overall)
CompleteCase.com is one of the original DIY divorce services.
Unfortunately, the Better Business Bureau reviews are less than stellar at 2.86 out of 5 stars.
CompleteCase has 4.1 out of 5-star reviews on Trustpilot based on 272 reviews. While the overall score is pretty good, the number of 1-star reviews is concerning.
Quick Facts
- $299 cost (plus $24.99 per month after 30 days)
- Unlimited phone and email support
- Instant access to completed documents
- Easy to use with helpful explanations
- Secure site
- 100% guarantee of court approval or your money back
- A- rating with the BBB
- 4.1 out of 5-star reviews on Trustpilot
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Bottom Line: CompleteCase is a solid option overall. The big thing holding me back from recommending CompleteCase is the additional fees for using the service after the initial 30 days. Those monthly subscription fees can start to really add up if your divorce takes longer than expected.
Read our full review on CompleteCase here.
Middle of the Pack
Not great, not terrible – the following DIY divorce services find themselves in the middle of the pack.
4. It’s Over Easy
It’s Over Easy is one of the most expensive options on the market. The “Pro” plan is $950 and the “Premium” plan is $2,000.
As a relative newcomer to DIY divorce, the customer reviews are fairly limited. They earned an average of 3.4 stars out of 5 stars with only 11 reviews.
Digging deeper, you can see that all the reviews are either 5-star or 1-star reviews. Based on my research, the Pro plan overpromises and under-delivers. At $950, it’s overpriced compared to other alternatives.
Quick Facts
- Founded by celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser
- Negotiation tools to help you reach a full agreement with your spouse on asset division, alimony, child support and custody
- Child support calculator
- Serve your spouse by mail
- 95% success rate in getting divorce papers accepted by the court
- Premium support (specialists are available by phone and email to answer any questions you may have)
- Access to an extensive directory of divorce professionals
- You can purchase the “Next Chapter” course which is a video series featuring experts from different professions to help you transition to your post-divorce life. (Shameless self-promotion: I happen to be one of the financial experts discussing post-divorce financial planning tips.)
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Bottom Line: I can’t justify the cost. At this price point, there are better alternatives to consider.
Read our It’s Over Easy review here.
5. DivorceWriter
DivorceWriter will help you complete your divorce forms for $137. The company offers a price match guarantee if you find another service at a lower cost.
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The Bottom Line: DivorceWriter is the cheapest DIY divorce service that I’ve come across. The reviews are generally positive. If you’re extremely budget-conscious, this isn’t a bad choice. However, DivorceWriter falls short of our top pick Hello Divorce due to the limited customer support and lack of additional resources.
Read our full DivorceWriter review here.
6. LegalZoom Online Divorce
Unlike other DIY divorce options, LegalZoom offers a wide range of legal document preparation services.
Unfortunately, their online divorce service feels like a bit of an afterthought. At $499, LegalZoom is simply not priced competitively for what they offer.
Their customer reviews on the BBB are 2.66 out of 5 stars with 576 total reviews. LegalZoom has an average of 3.4 out of 5 stars with 254 reviews on Trustpilot. What’s worse, 51% of the reviews are 1-star reviews. Keep in mind these reviews may not all be related to their divorce services.
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The Bottom Line: LegalZoom may be a good choice if you’re starting a business, but there are better DIY divorce options. At $499, LegalZoom is simply too expensive to recommend. I can’t justify the premium price tag.
Read our review on LegalZoom divorce here.
The Losers
This is where things start to take a turn for the worse. Hidden fees, poor user interface, shoddy track record – these are some of the issues plaguing “the losers.”
7. One Stop Divorce
One-Stop Divorce is a relative newcomer compared to other online divorce services.
Unfortunately, like many of the services we’ve covered, One Stop Divorce charges you additional fees after 30 days. That’s a dealbreaker.
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The Bottom Line: The two things holding me back at this point are the limited customer reviews and additional fees for ongoing access after 30 days.
Read our One Stop Divorce review here.
8. GetDivorcePapers
At $139, GetDivorcePapers.com is one of the cheapest alternatives for completing your divorce papers.
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The Bottom Line: An F rating from the BBB and 62% of all reviews are 1-star. Enough said. Don’t waste your time or money with GetDivorcePapers.
Read our GetDivorcePapers review here.
9. OnlineDivorce.com
OnlineDivorce.com aims to be a low-cost provider at $139. However, there are additional fees for accessing your documents beyond an initial 30-day period.
In California, there’s a six-month waiting period to finalize your divorce. In other words, you can expect to pay a monthly fee to maintain access to their system.
OnlineDivorce.com has a D- rating with the BBB. To make matters worse, there have been 152 complaints in the last 3 years and 85 complaints in the last 12 months.
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The Bottom Line: Steer clear. The “bait and switch” pricing, poor customer service, and long delays will only add to the stress of your divorce.
Read our OnlineDivorce.com review here.
10. MyDivorcePapers.com
MyDivorcePapers.com has an F rating with the BBB. That’s tough to do.
Again, you can expect an additional monthly fee to extend your subscription. The last thing you need if your spouse is being uncooperative is added pressure from mounting costs.
The service has 2.6 out of 5-stars on TrustPilot based on nearly 1,700 reviews. 14% of those are 1-star reviews. Digging into the reviews, the majority of unhappy customers blame poor customer service and additional fees.
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The Bottom Line: With an F rating by the BBB and only 2.6 stars on TrustPilot, do yourself a favor and steer clear of GetDivorcePapers.com.
Read our review on MyDivorcePapers here.
How We Chose the Best Online Divorce Services
The whole purpose of this review is to help you select the best online divorce service in California.
So I decided to put myself in your shoes and ask one simple question:
What features of an online divorce service are most important to you?
If you’re considering using an online divorce service, chances are you want to get a quick and easy divorce without breaking the bank. You understand that divorce is a complicated legal process with tons of paperwork and are just looking for a service to help get you from A to Z.
So, I evaluated each of the online divorce services based on the following core criteria:
- Cost
- Ease of use
- Customer support
- Services offered
- Customer reviews
- Security
- Availability of completed forms (instantly available or delay)
- Bells and whistles (additional tools and resources)
- Access to legal and financial help
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it – our list of the best online divorce services out there right now.
With the average cost of divorce so high, it’s not surprising that so many people are turning to DIY divorce to get a fast, cheap divorce.
While it’s not right for everyone, an online divorce can be a great option to help you save time and money.
Starting at $99, Hello Divorce provides incredible value for the money. The flexibility to upgrade to an affordable plan with additional support really sets it apart from the others. Plus, you can consult with experienced family law attorneys, finance experts and mediators at affordable hourly rates.
These are just a few of the reasons Hello Divorce stands out as our top choice.
