Jeff and Elizabeth Steen

Jeff and Elizabeth Steen were both divorced before they met. They learned that divorce 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 wife paid almost $80,000 for litigation expenses after he and his ex wife had already gone to mediation and created a Separation Contract/CR2A. They didn't sign the contract after mediation because a lawyer his mother hired told him "I can get you a better deal." Two and a half years later, he had a worse deal and owed his mother tens of thousands of dollars. The buyout for his ex wife was so difficult to manage that he couldn't afford dish soap or toys for his young son. He struggled financially for years. The conflict with his ex-wife was so stressful he turned to Buddhist meditation, which he continues to this day. 

Elizabeth Steen was luckier. She and her ex agreed to settle without going to court. She still ended up paying about $7,000 to a lawyer who filed the paperwork and kept up with the court 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.