R
runner419
Guest
From Marshall County West Virginia. The problem: The judge will not render a final decision after 3 and 1/2 years. My fiance has now been waiting 3 1/2 years for the final decision. The judge will not put pen to paper.
Fiance filed for divorce in August 1997 and had initial hearing October 1997. As you can imagine after 3 1/2 years, there have been subsequent hearing, 3 children involved. And still - the judge refuses to sign the final paperwork. Today we went to file contempt charges - but our atty informed us that without a final decision there is no contempt. My question - is there any way to make a judge enter a final ruling - or are family judges allowed to drag a case out as long as they want to. We have already had the final hearing - but the judge will not sign the paperwork. We have been told to have our atty send in the proper paperwork - she has, still the judge will not sign.
Our atty informed us that she can send in paperwork all day every day but without the judges signature, there is only so much she can do and it is obvious that he is doing nothing. So is there anything else that we can do. We can wait another 15-18-24 months and there is no reason to think that the judge will sign, sincehe has refused to do so for such a long time. Fiance filed for bifurcation, not once but twice - both requests were denied. He can not get remarried, yet he can not live in his house, he can not have his posessions, all the things which one builds in a life is denied to him because the judge is in effect holding him hostage. He is holding him hostage of a court system which is hung and the judge will not rule one way or the other - the judge simply won't move and ignores all requests and paperwork?
Fiance filed for divorce in August 1997 and had initial hearing October 1997. As you can imagine after 3 1/2 years, there have been subsequent hearing, 3 children involved. And still - the judge refuses to sign the final paperwork. Today we went to file contempt charges - but our atty informed us that without a final decision there is no contempt. My question - is there any way to make a judge enter a final ruling - or are family judges allowed to drag a case out as long as they want to. We have already had the final hearing - but the judge will not sign the paperwork. We have been told to have our atty send in the proper paperwork - she has, still the judge will not sign.
Our atty informed us that she can send in paperwork all day every day but without the judges signature, there is only so much she can do and it is obvious that he is doing nothing. So is there anything else that we can do. We can wait another 15-18-24 months and there is no reason to think that the judge will sign, sincehe has refused to do so for such a long time. Fiance filed for bifurcation, not once but twice - both requests were denied. He can not get remarried, yet he can not live in his house, he can not have his posessions, all the things which one builds in a life is denied to him because the judge is in effect holding him hostage. He is holding him hostage of a court system which is hung and the judge will not rule one way or the other - the judge simply won't move and ignores all requests and paperwork?