Tennessean with problems in VA

To make a long story as brief as possible, 12 years ago my aunt's husband (now ex, obviously) kidnapped her children. Last year, they were found in VA (they had been living there quite some time, I have no clue as to why it took so long). The children had beeen taken from TN (where my aunt is living now), and there were of course legal proceedings, which were required to take place in VA. The ex husband had remarried, as had my aunt. The ex is living in a small town in VA, where everyone knows everyone, and he has established a "good ol' boy" reputation there. She had difficulties finding a lawyer that would even speak to her, and finally managed to find one, and once the proceedings were over she was granted visitation, and told to pay child support!
She has recently been laid off, and her husband is paying the support payments for her. She just received notification that she is being sued for additional child support.
Now to the problem...how to go about finding a decent lawyer in VA (and yes, money *is* an extreme problem). Is there any way to get the venue changed to TN? Even the *judge* knew the ex last time! The prospects of a fair trial are looking rather grim.
If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom they would be greatly appreciated, we are completely in the dark at the moment as to what her rights and options actually are.
Thank you,
Carli

[LegalBeagle]

Originally posted by Carli
To make a long story as brief as possible, 12 years ago my aunt's husband (now ex, obviously) kidnapped her children. Last year, they were found in VA (they had been living there quite some time, I have no clue as to why it took so long). The children had beeen taken from TN (where my aunt is living now), and there were of course legal proceedings, which were required to take place in VA. The ex husband had remarried, as had my aunt. The ex is living in a small town in VA, where everyone knows everyone, and he has established a "good ol' boy" reputation there. She had difficulties finding a lawyer that would even speak to her, and finally managed to find one, and once the proceedings were over she was granted visitation, and told to pay child support!
She has recently been laid off, and her husband is paying the support payments for her. She just received notification that she is being sued for additional child support.
Now to the problem...how to go about finding a decent lawyer in VA (and yes, money *is* an extreme problem). Is there any way to get the venue changed to TN? Even the *judge* knew the ex last time! The prospects of a fair trial are looking rather grim.
If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom they would be greatly appreciated, we are completely in the dark at the moment as to what her rights and options actually are.
Thank you,
Carli

Define 'kidnapped'. I mean, was there a court order giving the mother court ordered custody in TN? After he took the children, did she pursue custody in TN? When the divorce was final, what was ordered regarding the children?

Kidnapped as in she came home one day when they were still married and the house was empty. She filed for divorce and was given custody of the children in the state of TN. He filed for divorce in the state of FL and was granted custody of the children *there*...he told them she abandoned the children and he couldn't find her. It amazes me...those kids were pictured in missing children publications, and no one made the connection during all this divorcing that was going on...incredible.
Anyway after they were found in VA and she went to court, they gave the ex custody in that state saying that should "could have found them"...which is exactly right, the people my aunt *hired* to find those kinds should have found them many years ago, but Im a bit perturbed that they held *her* responsible, even though she wasn't intending to push for actual possession of the children, after all they had been away from her for eleven years and hardly knew her, that wouldn't have been fair to them. In the end, she was granted supervised visitation initially and ordered to pay child support.
Thank you for the response.
Carli