Referrals for Pro Bono Legal
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| If you have given one attorney $15k I am not sure you qualify for pro bono. |
Anonymous
You don't. Flat out. Not in any sense of the word. You remind me of the private school thread where people feel they should qualify for financial aid because their mortgages are so huge on their 10 million dollar homes. Pro bono legal services are for people who are -- wait for it -- destitute. Do you know what that means? |
Anonymous
|
Thank you for your comments, I'm literally on the verge of being destitute. I can assure you I'm in no way wealthy or being a freeloader. My husband has ruined my credit, I can't even apply for a secure credit card to borrow against. I had to beg, borrow and sell to come up with the 15k. My husband is having our home foreclosed and I'm not on the loan to even try to save it, he took my car. Believe me I'm on the verge of being destitute. Please don't judge my circumstances if you have never been married to someone like my husband and show some compassion, I'm already dealing with so much physical, psychological, financial and environmental abuse at my husbands hands. The last thing I need is to be judged or reprimanded. Thank you.
For all of you who have shared links, I have literally contacted every single on of those resources to no avail. Thank you |
Anonymous
| Try law school clinics. |
Anonymous
Did it occur to you that she might have had savings or assets which are now entirely depleted, but no income? Given the number of SAHMs on this board, surprising you didn't consider this possibility. |
Anonymous
Yes I get that but look, a lot of people want pro bono legal work. Simply the fact she at one point HAD $15k to give to an attorney and did probably disqualifies her from qualifying for pro bono aid now. It's not a judgment on her predicament or life, I'm just saying it is very unlikely she even qualifies given the fact she has already spent $15,000 on representation. |
Anonymous
|
+1 PP that worked at legal services. You'd be amazed how many poor people remain separated but not divorced because they can't afford the process of divorce including representation and filing fees. It blows my mind that custody/child support are so easy to do pro se but divorce is not (even when there are no minor children involved). Np here. How easy is it to go pro se on child support/custody cases? Where does one start? Any recommendations for books or websites? |
Anonymous
PP that worked at legal services. You'd be amazed how many poor people remain separated but not divorced because they can't afford the process of divorce including representation and filing fees. It blows my mind that custody/child support are so easy to do pro se but divorce is not (even when there are no minor children involved). Np here. How easy is it to go pro se on child support/custody cases? Where does one start? Any recommendations for books or websites? Well, first let me clarify that I'm talking about Virginia specifically. Child support is easy because it's dictated by a formula. Not only that, DCSE will "represent the case" for free which in practice means representing the party that will be receiving child support. For the vast majority of people that are W-2 earners you can do it pro se. If the other party is self-employed it can get more complicated. Custody is pretty easy too as the clerk will walk you through the forms. And honestly, the form is pretty straightforward. That's not to say you'll get the same results as if you were represented but you two poor people can go in there and muddle through it and end up with a custody order. Not so with divorce. |
Anonymous
| What do you need done by an attorney? You really can do a lot of this on your own after being given legal advice. What did your attorney do for $15K? |
Anonymous
Her husband is probably making it incredibly difficult- hiding assets, dropping debts, etc. There definitely are certain people for whom you will need to spend a lot of money to divorce. However, hiring a lawyer who didn't manage to get much one done for the $15k you gave him sucks, but doesn't entitle you to pro bono legal representation. |
Anonymous
Do you have family that can help? You have spent 15K, although it is ridiculous that your divorce isn't final after all of that. |
Anonymous
This is what I don't understand about divorce. You could spend $40K on attorneys fees for assets that aren't worth that much. Is it worth all of that stress? Why can't people just end the marriage and move forward? |
Anonymous
Of course you and I see it that way but some people are just difficult and spiteful. OP, MUST you be divorced right now? Can't you just leave and go live with someone or use whatever money you have left and get an apartment? Eventually he will want a divorce when he wants to move on and then he can sue you for one and pay for it. |
Anonymous
|
Hi everyone the 15k got me only a 2 year protective order which he's appealing
A temporary custody order in place A temporary child support/mortgage contributions (he's been unemployed for 2 yrs not paid or contributed 1 penny for 1.5 year) 1 week after he agreed to bring mortgage current, received foreclosure notice He's been fired from every job the entire length of our marriage with a dual Masters Degree If anyone has ever experienced the wrath and harrowing vengeance of a man suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder you could trully relate to my sheer utter hell on earth. The pathological lies, the financial devastation, you name it he's done it to me and my child. I have learned throughout my ordeal attorneys are there to make $, Commonwealth of VA does not recognize or care about my child having witnessed her father physically and verbally abuse me. Thus my child is not covered on the protective order. Dealing with a Narcissist with the Legal System is the most harrowing experience, not to mention he's former Law enforcement, attended Law School for 2 semesters. In hindsight no doubt he planned his strategy more than 2 years ago and trapped me in one of the most "parental rights" vs "child's rights" in the US Please understand I'm not stupid and didn't ever take my marriage sacrament lightly thus I endured for over 15 years. He filed for divorce and has done anything and everything to delay, extend, and rack up attorney fees with anything and everything. I am his target, I genuinely am in constant fear of my safety and my child's. Narcissists use the child as a pawn. I have contacted organizations that support advocacy however there's little to nothing in terms of legal representation. Thank you for those of you who genuinely care and tried to point me to resources, for those of you that continue to judge/respond with such harshness please consider looking at the Domestic Violence wheel and know that I'm literally dealing with such utter anxiety/distress as a result. I do not want to continue to be a victim and doing everything I can to get out of this mess and move forward. |
Anonymous
|
Your child's rights are important. If he didn't abuse the child, he is going to get shared custody. You can spend another $15K, but that isn't going to change. What do you have to gain from continuing a contentious court battle?
Get a divorce so he isn't entitled to half your earnings and assets from here out. If he's unemployed, then that's what could happen. He will never, ever follow through on his financial promises. Find a plan B that doesn't involve him. I understand he was abusive, but I've seen this play out enough times to know how that affects divorce and custody cases. There was even a woman with 2 kids, who was married to an abusive narcissist that stole $60K from her. She didn't get that money back, and he got 50% custody. I even testified about abuse I witnessed. |