Santa Monica, CA asked in Divorce, Family Law and Business Law for California

Q: We divorced but haven't settled our community property business. She has "locked me out" & i can't afford attorney. help

Help. I have hit a wall. My wife & i recently divorced, but left the issue of community property unresolved because it was going to be super expensive to value our community property business (forensic accountant, etc). She has locked me out and receives a sizable income from the business, work trips, personal perks, etc. [approx $1mill revenue / $90k salary ] over the past 4 years has taken over $300k and i haven't received a penny. This has left me broke and starting from scratch financially and i can't afford what lawyers are quoting of $10-20k just to get started. We have considered mediation, but she has backed out. I don't know where to turn. I am barely getting by after investing 10 years of my life and thousands of my own dollars into that business which she now currently controls.

1 Lawyer Answer
Julie King
Julie King
Answered
  • Monterey, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: I'm sorry about your situation. I am not a family attorney, but I do know there are self-help departments of most courthouses that can give you the documents you need to start a dissolution (divorce) case in family court. Some law schools, such as the Monterey College of Law, hold clinics to help people handle their own legal matters. I don't know if there are any such clinics in your area. Additionally, there may be legal services for people who cannot afford a lawyer. Call the Bar Association for your county and ask what is available to you. Also, do an online search for free legal services and add the name of your county in the search box to find any legal services that may available near you. Finally, there are also paralegals who you can pay to assist you, but be careful: paralegals are NOT lawyers, so they are not licensed to give legal advice. Only a lawyer is authorized to give legal advice.

I hope the above information helps you. Best wishes.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.