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  • No more LegalAid Lawyer

    Just got the house sold. Legalaid took most of it, and left me with about 15K which I've had to pay outstanding debt. Which leaves me with $0

    I was told by Legal Aid to send in another financial assessment form, but just got a call from my lawyer that Legal Aid has cancelled the certificate because of the money I got from the sale of the house.

    Now I have no Legal Aid, and still have to work on custody, and OCL, and trying to get the ex to work on the balance of the net equalization portion as well as Section 7 expenses........because he wouldn't deal with it at the hearing for the sale of the house. ..What legal help can I get besides the Duty Counsel at the court house and/or do they even help a person like me who now has no one to help represent me in court.

    Are there any lawyers out there that anyone knows of ? I'm not sure how long this is going to take, as it is it's been 3 years and the other side has been dragging his feet. FRO is a joke........he's behind in his CS for 3 months, and they tell me, that if he gets caught up, and is 2 months behind, they can't do anything........

    I'm feeling tired and worn out with this constant battling. There must be more to life than this..........

  • #2
    Of course I have one, 3 in fact to just keep my head above water and am looking after our child full time, since the father is absent. What I've asked for is for constructive advice about how I can get some legal advice since I have no more Legal Aid to help me with the rest of the process.

    Constructive advice is appreciated.

    Comment


    • #3
      You won't get constructive advice from SlugHead - just smartass comments mostly.

      Sorry to hear about what has happened with you :s That's a tough pill to swallow. You may have to consider self-representing. Sucks, I know. I did it for awhile.

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks hadenough.

        Yes tough pill, but I still have my health (yes, I'm trying to smile through this).
        Is there help out in terms of free legal advice/at a reduced fee for people like me who yes, I believe will have to self-represent.

        I had wanted to do a settlement conference but it's been difficult because the ex does not want to agree to anything. He has said so to my lawyer, that anything "she has to say, whatever it is - I'll always say no". My lawyer had said then that it was not going to be helpful since there is no negotating and that trial was probably where I would be headed.......and if that's the case.......I need to know what I need to prepare for.

        Comment


        • #5
          No one can recommend a lawyer without knowing at least what city you are in.

          If you are near the settlement conference stage, most of your paperwork has been done and filed, you have your financials, you have your arguments, etc. You should have your file from the legal aid lawyer if they have been paid.

          Legal aid pays less than the usual hourly rate for lawyers. Your lawyer has already been working at less than scale, and is familiar with your case already. Your first option should be to talk to them.

          You are debt free, many of us had to go into debt to deal with our legal costs. It's not fun. Also you can try to minimize work each month and keep it to a few hours of billing, so you can just pay as you go.

          See what options your legal aid lawyer can give. Self rep is certainly possible, but you need to commit to full time study, it isn't something to approach casually.

          Comment


          • #6
            Besides Legal Aid there is lawyers out there who will work for reduced fee, for people who don't qualify for legal aid ,but have reduced income.There should be one in your area.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by murphyslaw View Post
              Besides Legal Aid there is lawyers out there who will work for reduced fee, for people who don't qualify for legal aid ,but have reduced income.There should be one in your area.
              you probably talking about JusticeNet

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              • #8
                Is there help out in terms of free legal advice/at a reduced fee for people like me who yes, I believe will have to self-represent.
                Justicenet is a reliable resource.

                If you find a younger lawyer they may be more willing to take on a schedule of payment.

                Do you live in or near a large city?

                Comment


                • #9
                  E-Gal sorry to hear about the crap that is being shovelled onto you and others are right when you ask for suggestion you dont need sarcasm

                  I self represented. I wont lie it was an arguous task however to keep going I thought of the reason for my fight and the ability to keep going was there all along. I wanted my child.

                  Whether you have a lawyer or not doesnt change the fact about FRO being overloaded and understaffed.

                  I dont want to give you false hope with FRO but even if you have a final order they can still go into arrears and yes there is nothing that can be done until reaches 3 months, sorry. I speak from experience.

                  However on the bright side through help on here I was able to win sole custody and final order.

                  If you cant afford it and you have a certain goal in mind (ie. sole custody) you can do it without a lawyer, I am proof it can be done. You have the support of the forum (some not so much) and you can always read through past posts. Others offer links that you can use and I suggest you do and get yourself some time set a side, a highlighter and sit and do some teadious reading.

                  Big picture is that it is more than worth it at the end. Another way to look at self representation is that you arent putting the money in their pockets you are keeping it in yours.

                  Starting point is if you already have a final divorce decree you can use that case number to piggyback for the custodial and/or support order.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks I'l look into Justicenet. I live north of Markham.
                    Much appreciated.

                    Comment

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