Please Help

[seagarden]

What is the name of your state New York - After knowing my husband for 20 years and married for 16 he now tells me he wants out. I am on unemployment and would like to know if he can pay my legal fees. Also am I entitled to alimony? This has come as a shock, he says he's been unhappy for 13 years and that our marriage was a mistake. He also said he just wasted 20 years of his life. The only thing he is concerned with is him having to pay alimony. My heart has been ripped out.

 

[adjusterjack]

What is the name of your state New York - After knowing my husband for 20 years and married for 16 he now tells me he wants out. I am on unemployment and would like to know if he can pay my legal fees. Also am I entitled to alimony? This has come as a shock, he says he's been unhappy for 13 years and that our marriage was a mistake. He also said he just wasted 20 years of his life. The only thing he is concerned with is him having to pay alimony. My heart has been ripped out.

No guarantees but you might be entitled to alimony but legal fees is iffy.

Nevertheless, get a consultation with an attorney ASAP.

Don't rely on your husband for anything. He is now your enemy.

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state New York - After knowing my husband for 20 years and married for 16 he now tells me he wants out. I am on unemployment and would like to know if he can pay my legal fees. Also am I entitled to alimony? This has come as a shock, he says he's been unhappy for 13 years and that our marriage was a mistake. He also said he just wasted 20 years of his life. The only thing he is concerned with is him having to pay alimony. My heart has been ripped out.

You can request spousal support. With some very recent changes in NY, you're going to need an attorney to help you navigate.

You can ask that your husband is responsible for your legal fees. You can ask anything you wish. But the chances of the court making your husband foot the bill are slim and none , and slim ran off already.

 

[latigo]

No guarantees but you might be entitled to alimony but legal fees is iffy. . . . . .

"No guarantees", "might" and "iffy"?

Nothing quite as safe as being noncommittal. Right, ajax? Totally uninformative, but free from repercussions. Then perhaps you really had nothing to add to the thread but added it anyway.

The fact is, ajax that New York is comparatively liberal in awarding post divorce maintenance, durational or nondurational as well as pendente lite. All depending on a number of various factors.

And here the OP's circumstances are favorable with respect to two of the major factors. (1) Two decades as intermarried husband and wife. (2) The unlikelihood of her ability to become self supporting.

Moreover, if there are any states that do not allow the family court to assess the husband with the wife's legal costs (or at least assist her in defraying those costs) when a disparity of income or sources could result in prejudice to the wife, perhaps you could name them.

 

[stealth2]

"No guarantees", "might" and "iffy"?

Nothing quite as safe as being noncommittal. Right, ajax? Totally uninformative, but free from repercussions. Then perhaps you really had nothing to add to the thread but added it anyway.

The fact is, ajax that New York is comparatively liberal in awarding post divorce maintenance, durational or nondurational as well as pendente lite. All depending on a number of various factors.

And here the OP's circumstances are favorable with respect to two of the major factors. (1) Two decades as intermarried husband and wife. (2) The unlikelihood of her ability to become self supporting.

Moreover, if there are any states that do not allow the family court to assess the husband with the wife's legal costs (or at least assist her in defraying those costs) when a disparity of income or sources could result in prejudice to the wife, perhaps you could name them.

Can we talk gobbledy-gook? Fact is - even the best, most experienced attorney (in ANY discipline of law) will not provide a guarantee of a particular outcome. One who does is, at best, a charlatan. Is SS POSSIBLE? Yes. LIKELY? Yes. But never guaranteed.

Nor are legal fees GUARANTEED. They MAY be awarded. It may be very likely they will be awarded. But it is not DEFINITE. To even imply otherwise is more than foolish, lattie-boy. It is misleading and unfair to the OP.

OP- Hope for the best, plan for the worst. The more you educate yourself, the better. At very worst, if you have to pay for your own attorney? S/he will not have to explain every piece of minutia to you, lessening the amount of time you use. Also spend some time calling lawyers to see who may offer a free consult and/or work with payment plans. As difficult as this is, now is the time to steel yourself and learn all that you can. Read posts here, search state statutes, make copies of all important paperwork - especially financial, titles, anything to do w/assets.Learn what your rights are. You are in a unique position in terms of having the time to spend while he is at work. Take advantage of that.