#50 Reimagining Divorce: Learning to Combine Tech, Law, and Empathy
In this episode of Lawyers Who Learn, David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline, has a conversation with Erin Levine, founder of Hello Divorce - an innovative platform transforming the divorce process. Erin shares her journey from sexual abuse survivor to family law attorney to legal tech entrepreneur, revealing how her personal experience with the legal system as a teen shaped her mission to make divorce less contentious, more affordable, and more accessible.
Erin explains how a pivotal moment with a client who won custody but regretted the litigation process inspired her to create Hello Divorce as a side hustle while still managing her law firm. What began as an experiment to see if people could successfully navigate divorce with the right tools has grown into a venture-backed company that has processed over 10,000 divorces and is now available in all 50 states.
The conversation explores the challenges of building and scaling a legal tech company, including raising $7.5 million in venture capital, navigating regulatory compliance, and creating a model where both consumers and lawyers benefit. Erin discusses how she overcame imposter syndrome, the importance of networking in her entrepreneurial journey, and how she's balanced business growth with personal challenges, including a recent cancer diagnosis.
Throughout the interview, Erin reflects on what it means to reinvent her career multiple times while staying true to her mission of improving access to justice. She shares insights on effective leadership, building a legal tech company that serves both lawyers and clients, and how her approach differs from traditional divorce litigation by focusing on better outcomes through technology and human support.