Stand with a Dad in Legal Battle
Donation protected
I'm a single father in need of immediate help and am appealing to friends to see if I can raise the needed funds. I have been dealing with a divorce for some time, years, and am at a critical point.
In short, here is what I am dealing with and am in need of help.
- My soon-to-be ex moved over an hour away with our sons without seeking permission from the court. Our county had a backlog of over 2,000 divorce cases and only 2 judges.
- I pay child support and unallocated support - it's 65% of my income. Over $55,000 in support to my ex annually despite the fact that we make the same money.
- After she moved, she claimed she had no money but she has purchased a home for $350k, acquired a motorcycle, has a side business, and purchased an in-home sauna while I can barely feed and clothe myself.
- I have filed for a modification NOT of child support, but what in essence is alimony. I have been waiting for OVER 2.5 years for that motion to be heard.
- I can no longer afford my car and am seriously in debt.
- My attorney became a judge (after complaining that this was why our case was stalled) and ironically this left me without representation; suddenly my case began to move quickly at the urging of my soon-to-be ex's attorney and a case management hearing was scheduled while I was away on a business trip.
- I scraped together what funds I could to get an attorney after learning that the other party moved to a default trial when I did not show up for a case management hearing while I was out of town. (I contacted the court via email after being called to appear while I was half a country away).
- Now I have learned that the only way to escape a default hearing and likely losing all of my remaining equitable assets, to modify support and cannot introduce my own evidence such as the above lifestyle disparity, is to PAY for my ex's attorney fees in preparing for the default brief which her attorney submitted is $10,480!
- That is nearly 20% of my annual net income after support!
I cannot think of another way to solve this problem and am incredibly humbled and disheartened to ask for help but desperately need it.
My case will be in default if I cannot pay my ex's attorney fees for preparing their brief. The sad part is I have been paying enough support that I have in essence been paying my ex's attorney fees and now the judge in our matter is essentially asking me to pay my ex's legal bills even though I have been funding her legal costs against me.
I know it's a tough time of year and divorce is hard, but I have spent years being a devoted, involved dad, husband, and now can barely even afford to defend myself and lose everything while I have so little. I am hoping to finalize the divorce as a final trial and not in default where I stand to lose everything.
Organizer
Joseph Green
Organizer
Wayne, NJ