I have been separated from my husband for 12 years married for a total of 15 years. I draw disability. How do i proceed to get a divorce with no money? My husband will not pay for the divorce. Is there anyone who has any knowledge of the proceedings in this matter
There are a number of options:
- Borrow the money from someone
- Call around to see if you can find an attorney who will take the case pro bono (free). Your local disability support groups may be able to recommend someone.
- Call around to see if you can find an attorney who will ask the court to be paid from marital assets. However, if you were separated for 12 of the 15 years of your marriage, it's not clear how much there will be in terms of marital assets. It depends on whether you were legally separated or just moved out, I guess.
- If there's a law school in your area, some schools have a program where students can help you with your case. They can't appear in court on your behalf, but they can help with paperwork.
As a very last resort, you can get the documents from your court clerk and file them yourself. However, this is rife with problems and most people are better off getting an attorney - the mistakes in a diy case often cost much more than they save on attorney's fees.
