I just read an article by Andrew Grossman. It was titled, 13 Years, 16 Lawyers, 10 Judges, No Divorce Settlement
In 2001, a Florida court awarded Marlene Forand a $240.00 divorce settlement, plus $6,000.00 permanent alimony and attorney’s fees from ex-husband Bob in 2001, 6 years after their marriage ended. So why is she living with her mother and taking public support? The St. Petersburg Times reports that the lawyers who botched up the enforcement of the claim in Alabama, Bob’s new home state, somehow ended up with only a $162.00 settlement from her ex and took more than half that in legal fees, leaving Forand, after paying off some debts, nothing at all.
Ladies, this is exactly why I say Don’t Quit Yet. If something goes wrong in a marriage, a divorce is not an easy thing to endure emotionally and in this case, financially. Think hard before you make the plunge! I can’t even tell you how many times I have heard comments like, “Help me! I can’t breathe and I feel like I am drowning!”
I commented on his article as follows:
This is exactly why I tell my readers and audiences, that they need to protect themselves by learning about the laws in the state where they live and in this case, the one where he is now living. There are ethical and caring attorneys out there but in my opinion, they are few and far between these days. This is not an uncommon chain of events. The only difference, as I see it is that 13 years is even long for a long divorce process. I would guess that this woman was enticed by her first attorney’s telling her that she had a strong case and that he or she could get her the moon and the stars. He or she didn’t mention that it would only be in her dreams, after she paid the billable hours due.
