UPDATE May 3, 23: I am being charged for a second retainer of $3,500 after my first divorce hearing. The reason for this is because my husbands lawyer hit up my lawyer with about 5 different custody agreement proposals and my lawyer charged me for each of those phone calls. On top of that, my husband has requested a GAL to investigate the living conditions of our daughter. This is apparently going to cost me $1,000 even though I was not the one who requested this. Therefore, I have brought my total goal up to include the 2nd retainer and the GAL fees. At this time the total is $8,000. 

I also have not received a single child support payment from him yet which was ordered for a bit over $500 a month. 

UPDATE: My situation has turned into a domestic violence case after he assaulted me Feb. 20, 23. I am staying at a safe location. 

My name is Michaela Sparks, most of you will know me as Sprout, and I am in desperate need of financial assistance to pay for an attorney to help me leave my abuser (my husband). The attorney I am looking to hire needs a $3,500 retainer up front to begin the legal process. I have applied for free legal aid, but was not able to state specifics of my situation in the application and don’t feel confident I will ever be chosen for free legal aid. I do not have time to sit around and wait for a lawyer to approve my application. My husband has taken away my access to a car. There were 24 totes full of my stuff that he had taken outside in the freezing cold this past weekend while I was gone (around February 4) in order to get his sister to move in my place in a couple of weeks (which there is not room for all of us). All while saying I can make this all stop if I sign dissolution papers that I don’t agree with. He constantly makes threats including calling the cops if I take Bri out to the mall without him there. (And I have recorded proof of all of this).

There is so much more abuse that I have to endure. Please help me.