Silicon Valley company's software starting to take divorces, other court disputes online

Imagine working out a divorce without hiring an attorney or stepping into court or disputing the tax assessment on your home completely online.

A Silicon Valley company is starting to make both possibilities a reality with software that experts say represents the next wave of legal technology — technology that is capable of turning the law into computer code that can solve legal battles without the need for a judge or attorney.

The computer programs, at least initially, have the ability to relieve overburdened courts of small claims cases, traffic fines and some family law matters. But experts envision a future in which even more complicated disputes are resolved online, and they point to San Jose, California-based Modria as a company that is ushering that future in.