Madeline Linder

My fellowship project's goal was to make divorce more accessible for low-income people who do not qualify for legal aid or do not have the financial resources for an attorney. The average cost of divorce in 2020 is $12,900 nationwide. If someone seeking divorce needed an attorney, the average cost will be $11,300, and legal aid organizations can only help people that qualify. This leaves a large section of the US population facing divorce alone and without legal help. Although some state courts have self-help centers, the information is often outdated, overwhelming, and costly, and most people do not know the terminology to fill out these forms and to go through the divorce process.