CaseForward vs. a paralegal / document preparer
Independent document preparers — called Legal Document Assistants (LDAs) in California, legal document preparers elsewhere — are humans who type up your divorce paperwork from the information you give them. It's a legitimate middle path, and for some people the right one. Here's how it really compares.
| CaseForward | Paralegal / document preparer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99 once for the complete packet · $29 for a single document | Typically $239–$750 for divorce paperwork depending on provider and children (national doc-prep average $213–$614) |
| Who does the typing | You answer guided questions; documents generate instantly and update as you edit — free previews first | They type your answers into the forms for you, on their schedule |
| Legal advice | Not a law firm; no legal advice — guided information and document automation | Also cannot give legal advice — same restriction, person-shaped |
| Speed & hours | Instant, 24/7 — most people do this at night | Business hours, appointments, days of turnaround |
| Local familiarity | 51 state guides + your court's official forms links; filing-assistance add-on ($59) for court-specific checklists | Often knows your specific courthouse's quirks personally — the real advantage |
| Extras | Free state child-support calculator (real guideline models), 51 state filing guides, case-law lookup on paid tiers · Fair upgrades: every dollar you've paid counts toward a bigger package, automatically | Varies by provider; usually paperwork only |
When a document preparer is the better pick
- You genuinely don't want to touch a keyboard — you'd rather sit with a person and hand them the task.
- Your local preparer knows your exact courthouse's unwritten preferences and that comfort is worth the premium to you.
- Your state licenses them (like California LDAs) and you value that registration.
When CaseForward is the better pick
- You're comfortable answering guided questions yourself and would rather keep $150–$650 of the difference.
- You want to work at midnight, revise freely, and see everything before paying.
- You want the surrounding tools — support math, state rules, AI drafting — not just typing.
- You want a human exactly where humans matter: notarization, filing logistics, serving your spouse — as $25–$99 add-ons rather than the whole job.
Try it free first — that's the whole point
Build your case and see complete previews of your documents without paying anything. If it's not right for you, you've lost nothing — and the comparison above tells you where else to look.
Competitor details checked August 2026. Sources: Thumbtack cost guide, legal document preparation (national averages and divorce prep examples). Prices and features change — check their sites for current terms. Comparisons reflect our honest understanding; tell us at customer.service@idamil.com if anything is out of date.
More comparisons: vs. LegalZoom · vs. 3StepDivorce