MissEgirl said:
I live in New Jersey and have a 9 month old daughter. After working for 10 years my husband and I decided I would quite my job to take care of the baby. That meant my husband's income was the only money for us. My husband has stopped putting money in the bank for us to live on. No food, no rent nothing. Do I have any legal right's here? Is there anyway to get him to pay now or can he just up and go, leaving us with nothing(but bills!)
My response:
First, there's nothing anyone can do to keep someone from just "up and walking away" from a marriage. But, that doesn't mean that each partner of the marriage is able to relinquish their responsibilities to the other.
It's time for you to see an attorney to obtain an order from the court for Spousal and Child support. You can't make him stay, but you can certainly make him pay.
In the interim, if you haven't already done so, you can get emergency funds for food and shelter from your local Welfare Office. That office will go after your husband for reimbursement.
An initial consultation with a Family Law attorney is usually free. And, if your attorney is willing to wait to be paid, he can request that the court order your husband to pay for all of your attorney's fees and costs.
Good luck, and see an attorney on Tuesday.
IAAL
