Q: How do I legally bind my estranged husband to share the cash payout of his pension, before I sign the consent form?
My husband of 16 years abruptly left me 4.5 months ago, in the middle of the night, while I slept, taking all of $52K we had, leaving me (a housewife) with no car, no phone, all the bills past due, in a house about to be foreclosed upon, and moved out of state. No response from him until 5 weeks ago, when he started messaging me saying he was going to send me some money because it was "the right thing to do". Then I discovered that he needs my notarized signature to have his pension dissolved into a lump sum payment. He is promising me half, which is fitting, but won't disclose the total. I asked him to have a legally binding document drawn up to guarantee that this happens, as we are still legally married and who is to stop him from taking all of it and disappearing? He sent me a signed homemade document, promising me a certain amount, but his signature isn't witnessed by anyone else. Is this enough? Please advise, I have no money to divorce him and do this the right way. Thank you.
A:
The answer is a divorce- sorry, but there is no substitute. He cannot be trusted, so do NOT trust him. He owes you half of the 52K and support.
Go to Legal services in your area- maybe they can refer you to a lawyer who can work with you on the fee. You only have one chance to get this right. Do NOT try to do it without a lawyer.
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