Finding a Lawyer after you have already paid one to do nothing!!!

[squigg62]

I am at my wits end with finding a lawyer. This has gone on for 16 months now. I have come to the conclusion that if you aren't a millionare you are pooched. My ex walked out on me 16 months ago. He was earning $15,000/month. We were common law for 8 yrs, most of that time I spent going through a bankruptcy with him. When he couldn't afford to pay bills he had I put them on my credit card to pay. He is now off and running to be earning god knows how much / month. Last summer I spent two hours and $250.00 with a lawyer to tell me he couldn't take the case. He referred me to another lawyer who had my files for two months to then send me my file back and say she was too busy. In Aug of last year I paid another lawyer and he has done nothing for me (I have the emails to show he has done nothing) My ex cut me off in Jan. of 09 of any type of support, he had been paying the minimum amount. I have been to legal aide and what they do (if you qualify) is take a copy of your deed, which they will put a lien on your house for your costs to the system, and give you a list of the lawyers in your area who do legal aide. To no avail have I found a lawyer!!

Does anyone have a suggestion on the next step? I have considered emailing my MP to see if they have any suggestions. I have online apllied to canlaw.com for a lawyer and no one has contacted me.

I wasn't working when I was in this relationship as we lived in the States while he worked and I didn't have a work permit. Please don't send me notifications to "get a job" I have one, and it is shift work all over the board, in a three to four day period I have normally worked all three shifts!!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get a lawyer?

Squigg

[babybluetigger]

Contact the Law Society of upper Canada to get a lawyer referral. They will hook you up with a lawyer for $6.00 for a 30 minute consultation. Phone # 1-900-565-4577.

[babybluetigger]

Hi, also try 'prepaid legal services', just google in and read up about it.
I used this service, after 2 lawyers we used that did nothing and everything wrong for us and 1 year of wasted time. Prepaid legal services ended up finding us a lawyer who was phenomenal. Read up on it. You can ask as many questions as you want, as long as you never ask the same question twice. They'll hook you up with a lawyer, if you don't like them, they'll find another for you. Best part is, once you retain that lawyer, they MUST give you a 25% discount off of their legal hourly rate. Please look into this. It is so beneficial. Good luck

[billm]

Do you have children from the relationship?

What is your claim for continued spousal support based on? How much do you want and for how long?

[squigg62]

Hi bill,

WEll when we were together the income was some months 7,000 down to 5,000. I can go back and look at my numbers. I beleive in 2005 the after tax income in the household was $95,000, in 2007 it was $80,000.

He has taken over a business (become a partner) and is also consulting for the sum of $15,000 a month. I have no idea what his income is on the partnership business. However I do know he will be hiding assests this is what he did when he lived with me. Part of the income in 2005 was a severence he took from a company he worked for in the states. Instead of taking the full yrs severence he took it as a consulting fee as he set up a corporation to flow the money through which he put the business in my name. I realize now this was to cut off his ex wife of her monthly support of $7,000 / month.

Your question is how much am i looking for in support, am I not entitled to an amount which is comparable to what I was accustomed to? He was only giving me $1,400/month which was equivalent to company paid expenses. He has now stopped payment and I am up the creek without a paddle as I am having difficulty finding a lawyer who will do what it takes to prove he is lying and cheating the system. His background I found out after living with him is, he is no stranger to Rev Canada, and also is no stranger to the IRS. He has woed them both money at times and kept delaying the payments to them. After we were together for approx a year he claimed bankruptcy.

This gives you a bit of history on this guy. I was with him for 8 yrs. There were no children from the relationship at all.

If you have messenger I would be happy to discuss this further with you.

Squigg

[billm]

Originally Posted by squigg62

....
Your question is how much am i looking for in support, am I not entitled to an amount which is comparable to what I was accustomed to? ....

This gives you a bit of history on this guy. I was with him for 8 yrs. There were no children from the relationship at all.

....

You were living common law. My question was not about how much he makes, but more about why you feel he should continue to support you even though the relationship is over. He did pay you support for a short time after the relationship ended - why was that not enough?

Did the relationship damage your earning potential? Was he unjustly enriched from the relationship? Does he owe you assets acquired during the relationship that was a result of the relationship?

[squigg62]

Well Bill, when I moved with him to the States I closed my financial planning business, gave up my licenses to return with him in bankruptcy. I wasn't going to start all over. He rode around on my good credit rating while he was bankrupt and incidently seemed to have left right around the time he received his discharge. Since being with him I have developed severe health issues.

All I asked is there a way to find a lawyer? You have now come back with a question of why am I entitled, this was not why I posted and I refuse to justify my need for support to you.

[billm]

Originally Posted by squigg62

...

All I asked is there a way to find a lawyer? You have now come back with a question of why am I entitled, this was not why I posted and I refuse to justify my need for support to you.

Okay. I don't know how you can find a lawyer other than the normal channels you have tried.

I was trying to discuss the other part of your post where you tell some of your story. Perhaps your difficulty in retaining the three lawyers, or obtaining a fourth lawyer is because your case is difficult to win.

[squigg62]

You may be right Bill, however each and everyone of them have take money to do nothing. I am unsure whether or not I am just too much of a push over.

If you would like to discuss this further I would kindly do this in chat not in the forum.

Thanks,

Squigg

[billm]

Originally Posted by squigg62

...

If you would like to discuss this further I would kindly do this in chat not in the forum.

...

If we discuss things via email, then the forum will not benifit from that exchange.