Q: My mom is in the middle of a nasty divorce and has no legal help. is there any way to find a pro bono lawyer to help?
She has received a supplemental judgement and I don't know what this means, is he coming after more? She had a QDRO lawyer who promptly died after being hired. She signed paperwork so I don't know what the next step would be.
A: Your mother, not you, should contact the Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service, and she will be referred to an attorney who may be able to assist her. It sounds like she will be receiving some assets in the divorce, so perhaps an attorney is willing to represent her with the understanding that s/he will be paid later, when your mother receives her share of retirement benefits. The supplemental judgment may be the document that divides and distributes the retirement account. If your mother is the alternate payee under that supplemental judgment, and not the plan participant, she may be able to access some or all of the funds in her share of the retirement account without penalty, although any withdrawals will be considered taxable income to her.
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