I dealt with a similar situation recently: a single mom, strapped for cash, against an absent dad with a trust fund and a penchant for hiring expensive lawyers to play hide-and-seek with his income—or lack thereof, considering he treats doing his taxes like he's allergic to them. It's like the system's tailor-made for these types, making it a cakewalk for them to stall proceedings and bleed the other party dry. It's been years and she hasn't collected a dime, all while her legal bills continue to stack up. And, just to add my own twist to the tale, I’m wrestling with outstanding FRO payments from my ex, which she seems to dodge with alarming ease. Chasing them down, even through Small Claims, turns into a herculean effort on my part. Through this ordeal, I’ve picked up on how easy many of these legal tasks are, which lawyers bill hundreds for per hour. I’ve since taken to fully representing myself.
Looking back, I'd tell her straight: don't bother. The whole venture's akin to throwing your money into a black hole. And here's a slice of truth you're unlikely to get from your garden-variety lawyer: wading into this battle is often an exercise in futility. It's essentially the old adage of never asking a barber if you need a haircut—there's always a vested interest.
The real issue (including on this forum): is this ongoing blame game between dads and moms. It's all just a smokescreen, diverting attention from the core problem. The real adversary isn't the fathers or the mothers; it's the system. Broken, morally bankrupt, and fueled by a relentless drive for cash and perverse incentives, it shows no genuine concern for what's fair or for the children caught in the crossfire. This system flourishes on conflict, raking in profits, while genuine issues are buried under a mountain of legal fees and endless, meaningless paperwork.
So, why are lawyers the gatekeepers of legal advice? Ever wonder why there's such a strict barrier against obtaining free legal counsel from anyone else? It's because the entire legal framework is needlessly complex, a self-perpetuating monopoly that transforms straightforward human conflicts into a drawn-out spectacle. What you're essentially paying for is overpriced copywriting, dressed up with unnecessary legal fanfare. It's a setup engineered to ensure you keep coming back, shelling out more, as they protect the convoluted citadel they've constructed. Justice has little to do with it; it's about fueling the machinery, all on your dime.
Good luck, but be ready to consider if it's time to cut your losses.
