Losing My Kids: An Overseas Divorce
Donation protected
I am Michael Brown, an American expat, and I am in desperate need of help, legally and financially. I've already lost my children (based on the fabricated report of an pseudo-court investigator), though I am now appealing that case, and I am now at risk of financial ruin based on my ex-wife's unsubstantiated and nonsensical claims in Court here in Taiwan. It is all farce; all travesty.
My Taiwanese ex and her family here are aiming for the jugular, claiming the most astonishing nonsense ever, filling documents with the most ridiculous claims, even though upon separation, my wife stated, "the best caregivers are you, me and my parents," and "you are an excellent father, and I will never take your rights away." Those statements came three months before she took the children out of my life--and me from theirs, for six months, violating my parental, legal and custodial rights. Their allegations can ALL be proven to be utter nonsense.
Even though I wrote nearly a dozen emails to different friends and family in America for months before and after the separation that I'd have to stay in Taiwan for the next 15 years so the kids would have both parents in their lives, my ex got the courts to force my job to garnish my wages because the court feels "as a foreigner, the chances are that" I'll "leave Taiwan". She further gave as false evidence that I twice wired money to my American account "for his personal benefit", but all my records can show that it was to pay OUR family credit card expenses on MY Stateside account. And her third pseudo-"evidence" that prompted the garnishment was that "Americans can just send their money around the world, so he'll do the same." All three unsubstantied claims were nonsensical fabrications. However, I had NO notice of the filing and had NO chance to rebute her ridiculous claims. The money, over $8,000US, is still in escrow awaiting decisions from the Court. Worst of all, that amount stems from calculations SHE made with a social worker, stating she made only $1000/month, which is fabrication, and that because I made more than her claims, that I was responsible for 80% of the childrens' support (which is ALL nonsensical rubbish).
Over the last nearly three years, with two separate lawyers retained (up front cash payments), countless other lawyers' hourly consultations ($80-$150US/hour), incessant interpreters' fees ($30-$50/hour), translators' fees for documents (everything I write to submit to the courts or show as evidence needs to be translated; $10-$80/hour depending on experience), copy center costs, etc., I have spent over $15,000US cash. I also lost wages from taking off non-paid leave from work to handle abduction and court-related issues. The garnished wages on top of what I've spent on my own, combined with the monies that were in TWO joint bank accounts when we separated, monies still owed to me, etc., all total wll over $40,000US dollars out the window. I cannot handle more loss.
The fact that the Taiwanese court ongoings have undoubtedly been slanted in my ex's favor (she has advantage based on language, culture and perspective), and the fact that the Taiwanese social services and court investigators' reports are utterly biased and unfair, I am now looking for a new lawyer, which means another (up front) retaining fee, which I simply don't have right now.
A new attorney I've consulted with, who even shared some fresh ideas to counter my ex's claims I shared with him, wants $6000/US to cover the remainder of my case ongoings. I cannot afford it.
I cannot even afford the pending translations that I'd submit to court in the upcoming days and weeks, nor can I pay the interpreter's fees I'd incur, even from this week's hearing (she's thankfully agreed to charge me once the outcome is finalized).
But I risk losing my children because of bias, because of narrowmindedness, and because of cultural favoritism. I am alone here, when she has full family support. Because I risk losing my children, moreover, because of my own financial struggles currently, I decided to ask for help by signing up for this website. Never have I done something like this before, and not in more than 17 years have I even lived month-to-month--nor asked for help financially. Thus, this is admittedly embarrassing. However, for my children, I will ask.
Anything you can donate will be going to support getting at least joint custody of my children, who are also American citizens, with money going towards the aforementioned costs. My guarantee is that any funds generated this way will only go towards said expenses. As bi-racial, bi-cultural, and bilingual children, they have a right to their father being consistently in their lives (not the two 8-hour visits/month she suggested in her Custody Plan); I simply need help financially to help make that happen legally. Anything will help. Anything.
My Taiwanese ex and her family here are aiming for the jugular, claiming the most astonishing nonsense ever, filling documents with the most ridiculous claims, even though upon separation, my wife stated, "the best caregivers are you, me and my parents," and "you are an excellent father, and I will never take your rights away." Those statements came three months before she took the children out of my life--and me from theirs, for six months, violating my parental, legal and custodial rights. Their allegations can ALL be proven to be utter nonsense.
Even though I wrote nearly a dozen emails to different friends and family in America for months before and after the separation that I'd have to stay in Taiwan for the next 15 years so the kids would have both parents in their lives, my ex got the courts to force my job to garnish my wages because the court feels "as a foreigner, the chances are that" I'll "leave Taiwan". She further gave as false evidence that I twice wired money to my American account "for his personal benefit", but all my records can show that it was to pay OUR family credit card expenses on MY Stateside account. And her third pseudo-"evidence" that prompted the garnishment was that "Americans can just send their money around the world, so he'll do the same." All three unsubstantied claims were nonsensical fabrications. However, I had NO notice of the filing and had NO chance to rebute her ridiculous claims. The money, over $8,000US, is still in escrow awaiting decisions from the Court. Worst of all, that amount stems from calculations SHE made with a social worker, stating she made only $1000/month, which is fabrication, and that because I made more than her claims, that I was responsible for 80% of the childrens' support (which is ALL nonsensical rubbish).
Over the last nearly three years, with two separate lawyers retained (up front cash payments), countless other lawyers' hourly consultations ($80-$150US/hour), incessant interpreters' fees ($30-$50/hour), translators' fees for documents (everything I write to submit to the courts or show as evidence needs to be translated; $10-$80/hour depending on experience), copy center costs, etc., I have spent over $15,000US cash. I also lost wages from taking off non-paid leave from work to handle abduction and court-related issues. The garnished wages on top of what I've spent on my own, combined with the monies that were in TWO joint bank accounts when we separated, monies still owed to me, etc., all total wll over $40,000US dollars out the window. I cannot handle more loss.
The fact that the Taiwanese court ongoings have undoubtedly been slanted in my ex's favor (she has advantage based on language, culture and perspective), and the fact that the Taiwanese social services and court investigators' reports are utterly biased and unfair, I am now looking for a new lawyer, which means another (up front) retaining fee, which I simply don't have right now.
A new attorney I've consulted with, who even shared some fresh ideas to counter my ex's claims I shared with him, wants $6000/US to cover the remainder of my case ongoings. I cannot afford it.
I cannot even afford the pending translations that I'd submit to court in the upcoming days and weeks, nor can I pay the interpreter's fees I'd incur, even from this week's hearing (she's thankfully agreed to charge me once the outcome is finalized).
But I risk losing my children because of bias, because of narrowmindedness, and because of cultural favoritism. I am alone here, when she has full family support. Because I risk losing my children, moreover, because of my own financial struggles currently, I decided to ask for help by signing up for this website. Never have I done something like this before, and not in more than 17 years have I even lived month-to-month--nor asked for help financially. Thus, this is admittedly embarrassing. However, for my children, I will ask.
Anything you can donate will be going to support getting at least joint custody of my children, who are also American citizens, with money going towards the aforementioned costs. My guarantee is that any funds generated this way will only go towards said expenses. As bi-racial, bi-cultural, and bilingual children, they have a right to their father being consistently in their lives (not the two 8-hour visits/month she suggested in her Custody Plan); I simply need help financially to help make that happen legally. Anything will help. Anything.
Organizer
Michael J Brown
Organizer
Brookings, SD
