Jeff and Liz Steen were both divorced before they started Divorce Without Court. Through their divorces, they learned that a breakup may not feel great in the moment, but it can be a new start. Now they work to make divorce easier than their past experiences.

Jeff Steen and his ex negotiated child support and custody in mediation. Then they dropped out of mediation to sue each other. Three years later they’d paid more than $70,000 and the court gave them pretty much the same agreement they’d worked out in mediation. That’s really common. Many people pay $100,000 and up in legal fees in contentious court battles. Liz Steen was luckier. She and her ex worked out an agreement in mediation, then paid an attorney to file the forms. The mediation agreement held. Unfortunately, paying an attorney to file the paperwork turned out to be a huge waste of money. It cost $7000 to have the attorney put the case on the litigation calendar, filed the approved forms, and keep up with the calendar until the court could accept the mediation agreement. Mediated agreements don’t need a trial. There was no reason to be on the litigation calendar. 

Jeff and Elizabeth started Divorce Without Court in 2017, when Jeff realized that the changing court rules allowed people to avoid these issues. Now couples can sign a contract and file forms to make a record with the court, all without ever having to go to court or deal with the court calendar for litigation. 

In Washington, you can skip the extra steps. Most people just mail the forms to the court themselves. The court will hold the paperwork for the ninety-day waiting period then process everything. Individual court filing procedures can vary slightly from county to county, but the basic process of giving paperwork to the court for processing is always available to everyone. You don’t need a lawyer to file court forms. 

Together, Jeff and Liz started Divorce Without Court to give people the control they want, without the extra work and hassle of using the litigation calendar. Recording your divorce court paperwork is the same as recording a deed for a house or a title for a car. You only need to follow litigation procedures, with the extra expense and time, if you want to have a trial. 

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Jeff and Liz Steen were both divorced before they started Divorce Without Court. Through their divorces, they learned that a breakup may not feel great in the moment, but it can be a new start. Now they work to make divorce easier than their past experiences.

Jeff Steen and his ex negotiated child support and custody in mediation. Then they dropped out of mediation to sue each other. Three years later they’d paid more than $70,000 and the court gave them pretty much the same agreement they’d worked out in mediation. That’s really common. Many people pay $100,000 and up in legal fees in contentious court battles. Liz Steen was luckier. She and her ex worked out an agreement in mediation, then paid an attorney to file the forms. The mediation agreement held. Unfortunately, paying an attorney to file the paperwork turned out to be a huge waste of money. It cost $7000 to have the attorney put the case on the litigation calendar, filed the approved forms, and keep up with the calendar until the court could accept the mediation agreement. Mediated agreements don’t need a trial. There was no reason to be on the litigation calendar. 

Jeff and Elizabeth started Divorce Without Court in 2017, when Jeff realized that the changing court rules allowed people to avoid these issues. Now couples can sign a contract and file forms to make a record with the court, all without ever having to go to court or deal with the court calendar for litigation. 

In Washington, you can skip the extra steps. Most people just mail the forms to the court themselves. The court will hold the paperwork for the ninety-day waiting period then process everything. Individual court filing procedures can vary slightly from county to county, but the basic process of giving paperwork to the court for processing is always available to everyone. You don’t need a lawyer to file court forms. 

Together, Jeff and Liz started Divorce Without Court to give people the control they want, without the extra work and hassle of using the litigation calendar. Recording your divorce court paperwork is the same as recording a deed for a house or a title for a car. You only need to follow litigation procedures, with the extra expense and time, if you want to have a trial.