Divorce

H.,

You do not need a lawyer to get divorced. I divorced my son's father without any assistance when I was 19 years old. All you need to do is get the proper papers that you will need to file with the courthouse. You can get those papers at any office supply store. You need to stand your ground and make sure that when the lawyer sends you something that you check the date on it. Make sure that it is not dated from when you first hired him. You then need to start writing down all of the contact that you have had with the lawyer. I would then type up a letter to the lawyer explain that he has in no way helped you up till now and that you know that you can do your divorce on your own. Hope that I helped you.

2 moms found this helpful

My girlfriend and her husband had an amicable divorce and basically bought the paper work at Office Depot, wrote everything up, and then had it legally approved (not sure if that last little bit requires a lawyer or not), but it was very cheap and basically done without legal representation.

I hope this lawyer doesn't bully you...it doesn't sound like legally he can keep one cent of your money because he hasn't done any work for you. Good luck!!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi H.. I am a paralegal in family law. First of all, who is your attorney. When you sign a contract, a lot of attorneys have a stipulation in the contract that says that the retainer is non-refundable. Some lawyers do not do this. You should have received a copy of your contract the day you signed it. Let me know who the attorney is. If you bring a complaint, you are going to either end up spending more money than you have already paid. If he is being deceiptful and unethical, you could bring a complaint before the Lawyers Regulation Board which I believe does not cost anything. But you NEED to get a copy of the contract. Call his secretary and have her fax, e-mail or send that to you right away.

K.

1 mom found this helpful

You don't need a lawyer. My ex & I did it ourselves w/ the help of a law clerk just to review all our paperwork and go to the court and file it It costs us just a little bit for that. Look up online about pro-se divorce. That's waht it's called when you do it yourself.

1 mom found this helpful

May I ask why you are getting a divorce? I would also like to kow if th etwo of you are believers in Christ? Knowing this I will be better able to give advise. Thanks-J.

H., I am very sorry to hear about your siutation but seem to remember you asking for advice on this awhile back. I would still have a lawyer throughout the process just to make sure your best interests are kept in mind. The money is not coming back anyway so why not make use of the "contract".

Hi H., What state do you live in? I don't know if it matters per state but that you have no obligation to that lawyer. Did you give him your credit card? Never do that they will ring up your balance. You should have put down a retainer and if he didn't do anything for you then you should get the retainer back. They are all theives and crooks! My divorce lawyer took me for a ride and really didn't do anything that was in my best interest. If you and your husband agree on everything that makes it easier and cheaper but make sure your not getting stiffed by your husband.

I would view keeping the lawyer as a protection to you. What is the reason that suddenly your husband as decided to cooperate? His attitude may suddenly change for the worst again. If the problem is with the lawyer I would call his office and speak with a legal secretary or assistant to check on the status of the contract. The lawyer may be overwhelmed and you may find greater assistance moving things along if you speak with someone else in his office.

First of all, write a letter NOW. Document the fact that you did ask for services that were not received. Something like:

On (date) I spoke to you regarding services related to my divorce. As of today, _____, I have not received those services or even a contract and I do not wish to pursue this any further with your office. Please credit my credit card for the fee that you charged and confirm that this has been done.

Sincerely,
(your name)

It is very important that you document this in writing or you have no recourse at all. Don't let him take advantage of you if you feel that is what he is doing.

Hope this helps.
K.

I would suggest contacting Conact 6 at TV Channel Fox 6. They are good about getting people their money back. Businesses also don't like to have negative stuff about them on the news.

Just a thought.