I think you have mentioned being to the courthouse already, yes? Ask to speak to the Duty Counsel, who is there to help you with filing forms. They will explain what forms, how to fill them out, what supporting statements and documents you need, what the due date is for various filings, what the next step and next step is, etc. They are only permitted to give you explanation of proceedure, not legal advice, so stick to proceedure and they will help you a lot. Make sure to take detailed notes of what they say.
Next, you go to the ground floor at 393 University and find the Family Law Information Centre. Here you can get 1/2 hour of free legal advice from a lawyer, and also the clerk at the counter will give you good advice on where to find more information, they have computers available there.
I suggest you go to the Duty Councel first so you don't waste your half hour asking the FLIC lawyer questions about proceedure. The FLIC clerk will hopefully have some information about your other question about interpreters.
The judge will be impressed by someone who is logical, forthcoming, concise and to the point, with every point and argument and fact laid out in sensible order. When you prepare your Application (or Response) and Conference Brief lay out a logical series of facts that leads one to see your point, without being too wordy. The judge prefers not to read 5 pages, or to read paragraphs that go off topic.
Being positive and giving good reasons supporting your argument, and not being negative and giving endless insults and criticisms of your wife, will impress the judge. Having a reasonable offer, not a selfish one-sided offer helps your case. Judges are not stupid and they have heard many stories. At the case conference they prefer to keep things brief and to the point. The intent is to avoid a long expensive trial.
The judge may speak sense to your wife and help her find more reasonable expectations. You may also ask for the court mediation, which could help your wife to see a reasonable compromise.
|