Divorce

[skat011]

I had just moved to the US (Virginia) in July 1991 (my ex-husband had been living in the US since 1985) and given that I didn't know English or anything regarding divorce law my ex-husband handled everything regarding our divorce (in 1992). Given that my ex-husband's lawyer was the one that handled the divorce, I didn't have any legal representation and/or guidance, and I now believe that my divorce was unfair to me. (i.e. I was divorcing my husband because he committed adultery and my divorce states that we mutually agreed to get divorced. (I didn't speak any English at the time and without knowing, I had signed a form in which I gave up my right to have my case heard by a judge). I basically blindly signed a divorce that did not protect my interests or the interests of my children because I didn't not understand the language in which it was written in (English) and the fact that my ex-husband was the one responsible for translating it to me was not helpful either becuase he lied about everything. Without knowing, I gave up my right to alimony and I agreed to receive a child support payment that is too low ($1,000 for 3 children) considering the fact that my ex-husband's income is considerably high. What do I need to do to get my case heard and my 1992 divorce reviewed? Is it possible to challenge my 1992 divorce based on the circumstances that I explained above?

 

[scumcoast]

Probably not on the basis of your not understanding what you signed. But you may be able to file for a Modification on the child support part of the order if his income can be verified as more than it was when the order was determined. But be aware if he is able to hide any of his income it could also cause the support to go down in stead of up. Most states will review for modification about every three years. I doubt that you will be able to do anything about alimony after all these years.