Hello,
Im wondering if anyone has any advice or suggestions. My husband and I have been separated for two and a half years and we have worked with a mediator but couldn't agree on things so I decided to pursue an attorney. My husband did not respond to anything the attorney sent him (he's the type of person who believes if I don't deal with it, it doesn't exist) and I ended up in court by myself in front of the judge pretty much asking for what I want. Well, long story short something was wrong with the paperwork that my attorney didn't catch so we were back at square one. Anyway, I can't afford to continue paying this attorney = $8000 dollars later still not divorced and my husband won't pay for it. So, Im wondering now that we have come up with an agreement and have been working together in therapy, what's the best way to finish the process ourselves or hire someone less expensive (I heard paralegals might be capable of doing it) and how do I handle a husband who won't fill out his part of the paperwork. I've filled it out for him but he's lost it and is just not taking any sort of action. I feel super exhuasted and am ready to give up. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi-I don't have personal experience with this, but I've heard advertisements from www.legalzoom.com ...apparently you can get a divorce for a fraction of the cost, and if you type "vandals" during checkout, you get an additional 10% off, I think...worth checking out!
C.:
Depending on your economic situation, whether you own real proerty or not you may have two less expensive options. If you do not have real property and you are no longer being represented by an attorney, you can go to the Legal Aid Foundation's Self-help Center in either Inglewood, Santa Monica, or Torrance. The service is free and they will help you fill out all the necessary forms for free, you just have to pay for the photocopies and stamps. Depending on the center you can make an appointment and not have to be a walk-in.
Otherwise you may try Levitt & Quinn. http://www.levitt-quinn.org/help.htm. This firm specializes in handling divorces on a sliding scale basis depending on your ability to pay.
You may want to ask your former attorney to redo the paperwork or fix the situation based on the fact that he/she failed to provide you with competent legal representation by botching the forms. That is falling below the standard of care of an ordinary prudent attorney. The attorney is licensed by the State and is responsible for his work and if you are dissatisfied and he/she failed to remedy his poor work, then you can go to the State or COunty Bar and file a complaint.
I do not and would not suggest going to a paralegal. I have had to fix their work more times than I can count and they have no licensing requirement that holds them responsible for whatever work they do.
Good luck and I am sorry you have to go through not only a divorce but trying to fix what some incompetent attorney did not properly do for you.
My friend is going through this now. She went through legal zoom.com and even that was difficult because the paperwork didn't match up when she went to the court. She said if you go to the downtown court and take their free workshop, they give you a packet of what you need and free advice...Dont know if you want to go that route since it sounds like you have already been through it all...
A paralegal I know recommended the following to her:
"I don't know what her financial situation is, but a good sliding scale family law firm in L.A. is Levitt & Quinn: http://www.levitt-quinn.org/help.htm
When I volunteered for the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, we referred clients to L&Q regularly if their cases didn't meet our criteria, such as if they were already in process. Levitt & Quinn can do a consultation with her for a small fee, to see where she's at and what she needs to do next, and assist with preparing additional documents if necessary. If her case is not contested, she probably doesn't need a lawyer. If it is, L&Q is an excellent resource if she meets the income criteria. If I can provide any direction, I'm happy to help. I would need to know what's been filed by both parties and where they are in the process. I hated going to the downtown courthouse, so she has my sympathy. "
Hope that helps! good luck!
Hi C.,
Legalzoom.com is great. My boyfriend used it for his divorce- so basically I did all the work (long story). It cost about 250.00. You answer questions on line, then they send you all the paper work and tell you exactly what to do, and how to fill it out. Then you head to the courthouse, drop off the completed papers and they send you a divorce. All your ex has to do is sign the papers you tell him to. Good Luck
I used a wonderful attorney named Armando Paz in Century City. He got the job done quickly and his price tag was not terribly steep. My ex wanted out as fast as possible when I asked for a divorce (the rejection thing). You might have to bite the bullet and hire someone else to get the job done correctly. Within a month of asking for a divorce, we negotiated and I was divorced in 6 months. Good luck. I hope the process ends successfully for you.
