A Wilmington-based startup is attempting to make divorce a little easier. 

Founded by attorneys, Solagree is a divorce resolution platform that offers an alternative to traditional divorce processes, which often involve expensive court litigation. 

The company was recently named a semifinalist in NC IDEA’s SEED grant program from a pool of 195 applicants. Grant recipients of the $50,000 award will be announced on Nov. 12, on the first day of NC IDEA’s Ecosystem Summit held in Wrightsville Beach. 

Co-founded by Amanda Mason, a divorce attorney in Wilmington, Solagree seeks to keep divorce proceedings out of court by working with a certified divorce financial analyst and an attorney-neutral mediator.

Mason said her experience practicing divorce law showed her how overwhelming the traditional process can be for clients. 

“The fact is, it’s terrible,” said Mason of the typical divorce process. “And it’s giving clients horrible homework at a moment when they’re just going, ‘Which way is up? Am I going to lose my house? Am I going to lose my children? The respect of my community? What’s happening?’”

The company was founded in 2024, though Mason said she began working on the divorce model as early as 2019. Solagree was founded in collaboration with three other co-founders, also licensed attorneys, and the company has been bootstrapping its growth. 

Unlike a standard divorce process, Solagree offers a phased pathway for couples to reach an agreement, with binding arbitration as a final step. The process is designed to be less costly than drawn-out litigation and to make divorce as straightforward as possible, Mason said. 

A certified divorce financial analyst, a specialized finance professional, reviews a couple’s finances and helps them understand potential financial outcomes. The process helps couples understand their financial picture right away and feel more informed about the end goal, Mason said. 

Split into three phases, Solagree’s process begins with financial analysis and parental planning to identify where a couple may already agree and what options are available. The second phase uses attorney-neutral mediation to resolve remaining issues and is the phase where most agreements are reached. 

The final phase is a binding arbitration agreement, which Mason said acts as a safety net to ensure an end is in sight. What a couple has agreed on is adopted in the agreement. If they can't resolve an issue, an arbitrator will decide for the couple. 

“To the extent that they don’t get to 100% agreement, there’s someone effectively there as a safety net to make those decisions for them based on their state’s law,” she said. 

Solagree offers pricing tiers: one is focused solely on parenting at $2,250 per person, one is focused on finances at $4,800 per person and a third combines parenting and financial advice for a cost of $5,990 per person. 

“If the couple wants the whole package, so they’re going to do the parenting track and the financial track, it is $5,990 per person,” Mason said, “and that is less than your average attorney, in my experience, charges as an initial retainer.”

She added, “If they’d come to me while I was practicing, I would quote the potential client $7,500 to $10,000 just to get started, and then it’s going to go up and up from there. And again, it’s going to be open-ended. How much is that going to cost me in total? I have no idea.”

Solagree maintains an attorney-neutral network, which consists of attorneys trained in mediation and vetted by the company. Couples may also hire their own attorneys as part of the Solagree process, and the company is building a referral network of attorneys that can offer consultative support during the process. 

In late September, Solagree announced a strategic partnership with the National Association for Single and Divorced Families (NASDF), a nonprofit focused on improving outcomes for single and divorced families by providing access to a network of supportive services and tools. 

The partnership gives Solagree access to NASDF’s Support Insured insurance policy, which safeguards court-ordered child support and alimony payments.

"The confidence that support payments will continue, even during unforeseen circumstances, is truly a game changer for families," said Mason in a press release. "It strengthens settlement discussions and provides peace of mind for both parties. I look forward to expanding our programs together."