To all you Mom's who have great advice, some time ago there was a good article on here regarding divorce lawyers, unfortunately I can't find the responses now that I need help. My daughter is going thru a really rough time right now, her husband of 7 years told her he was in love with another woman at his work and has left her with two small children, a 5 year old daughter and 18 month old son. His excuse is that he is not mentally ready for the responsibilites of kids and marriage. He is selfish and wants to spend all his money on himself to buy whatever he wants, whenever he wants and do what ever he wants. He has informed her that he is opening his own checking count and putting his checks in it. Someone has to still pay the bills and there is no way she can afford the house and all their payments without his check. She works as an occupational therapist assistant so will have no benefits without his insurance. She is also on expensive seizure medication that cost her $300 per month. They have also been going to marriage counseling, but he has a closed mind because he obviously had no intention of trying to make this work.....he just thinks the grass is greener on the other side. We are all heartbroken and never would have thought this was something he would do. The 5 year old is devasted that her daddy isn't home and cries hysterically wanting him to come home. We have all hoped he would not go thru with this and realize what a mistake he is making. Anyway, we need advice on a lawyer to consult to see what her options are. Please let me know if anyone has had one they can recommend.
Justin Wallace, family law attorney
16633 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 600
Addison, Texas 75001
www.justinwallace.com
###-###-####
All-around nice guy except for the being a lawyer part, but sometimes that's what we need. Give him a call-
I highly recommend Curtis Harrison in Frisco - he's honest, a Christian and wonderful to work with. Here is the website:
I am a family lawyer in Colleyville. We would be glad to give you a free consultation and get you going in the right direction. Call the office at ###-###-#### and we will get you set up. The sooner the better to protect her interests.
Kate Smith
Attorney at Law
Jeffrey T. Hall ###-###-####
Sorry for what your daughter is going thru. I don't know any Frisco attorneys but have a great friend from church that has his own practice in McKinney. His name is Greg Whitten. His office is down on the square in McKinney. He will consult for free and let you know what he can do for you. Great Christian guy.
I am a divorce attorney in Southlake. I wouldn't work in Frisco, but can give you some free advice and make a recommendation off this list. E-mail me at ____@____.com and I can give you some general information for your daughter to protect herself until she can see a good lawyer.
D. Kimbriel
www.kimbriel.com
Grandma to 2 beautiful boys!
Mark Williamson Is the best,###-###-####
I used Deborah Mackoy (free consult) ###-###-####
she is located in Frisco Square on Main st. She is excellent in the court room, very on point.
I am a grandmother as well! We have been through this several times (unfortunately!).This is not easy on anyone!!! The law firm that we finally used and that I would recommend is ...
Mccurley-Kinfer-McCurley and Nelson
Scott Downing ###-###-####
It is in Dallas but they were excellent! He saved us some money by turning our case over to one of his legal assistance but he reviewed and directed everything they did. He just didn't do all the work himself.
Also, we have worked with several lawyers and here are some things that we have learned...
1. Get a lawyer quickly! It is imperative you know your rights...NOW! Don't wait to see if they change their minds!
2. Have your daughter start NOW documenting what is being said and done with dates. It can be extremely valuable for several reasons. If nothing else, it will help her keep things straight and more clear in her mind. When such strong emotions are involved, it is amazing how hard that becomes. (I also kept a diary and just recently information from that diary proved vital in protecting my daughter and granddaughter. My diary is 4 1/2 year old)
3. You get what you pay for. The more you pay the better lawyer you usually get and the person with the BEST lawyer usually comes out with the BEST terms. No matter who is in the right or who is in the wrong! Most lawyers will give you 1 free session to discuss the situation. I finally became the 'pushy' mom and ask to be included on this visit. We were going through this as well as her emotionally and financially and I wanted to be able to visit with her knowledgablly about her choice of lawyers. Plus, I had questions that I wanted answered. The lawyers were not always 'happy' to have me there but my daughter reassured them that we had discussed this and she was ok with it. If they needed to ask her questions about something that they didn't want my presence, they saved it until the end and just ask me to leave. I don't know if you want to do this but know that it is an option.
4. Pay for the BEST lawyer that you can afford FIRST. We went through 3 lawyers trying to save money on the deal before we finally just sought the BEST lawyer and then considered cost. In the meantime, we gave away rights without realizing it. They are hard to regain and very costly! And you have to live with the results until the children are 18!!!! In other words, a long time!
5. No matter how much you pay none of them get in a hurry.
6. One of the first questions that I would NOW ask any lawyer is just how aggressive do you plan to be? And what steps do you plan to take to protect my daughter and her children. I would strongly consider the lawyer who is aggressive!
I work as well but I work out of my home and I have been able to take care of my grandchildren at least part time. I don't know if you would want more information along those lines but I would be happy to answer any questions that you have. And just know this was not my original intent in answering your email. My daughter's first husband was an abusive police office. We have learned some hard lessons. If I can make anyones journey easier...I would gladly do so!
Wishing you well!
P. Cooley
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L.,
This is from a friend of mine who went through a horrible divorce last year:
I used a GREAT divorce atty the last time. I don't know if she works in Frisco or not, but a simple phone call will confirm/deny that information. She's excellent to work with, and does not overcharge for every little item. That said, I will tell you that she was not the cheapest atty that I interviewed. She was also not the most expensive. She insisted on a face-to-face preliminary interview (no charge) in which we would each be interviewing each other...i.e., she may/may not want to take me on as a client, and I may/may not want to have her as an atty. I was very comfortable w/that approach. Note that some atty's charge for the prelim. interview. Loretta does not. Her philosopy is that she wants to be able to select (or reject) her clients w/o feeling as if she "owes" them anything b/c she charged for an initial interview.
I felt an immediate rapport w/her. Her name is Loretta Keller,her phone # is ###-###-####. Her office is in Plano. She has a fabulous legal assistant (whose name escapes me at the moment). If your friend calls her, pls be sure to have her tell them that I referred her. Also, pls note the following:
1) Even though other atty's may quote a lower hourly rate, they my end up being more expensive, b/c they will charge a full 1/4 hr if they talk to the client for 5 min. Loretta may fire off an email to the client, or on behalf of the client that takes 2 min to do, and she does not consider that billable time. I found her bill for my divorce VERY fair.
2) Remember that an atty is for legal purposes ONLY. If your friend needs add'l assistance, i.e. counseling (and that would probably be a good idea for her and her 5 yr old child), then she s/b investigating other resources for that assistance. Rapha Christian Counseling in Irving in excellent, and provides counseling on a sliding scale based on finances.
I wish her the VERY best. This is a tough time for her.
Kathryn
Good luck and please let us know how things turn out for your daughter. You are a good mom and grandma and I'm sure you will be a wonderful support to get her through this. Remind her that this too shall pass and there is life on the other side! L.
My heart goes out to you and your daughter and her babies. She needs a good aggressive lawyer that is going to get things resolved quickly and get her the money she needs for child support etc. Call John at the Haugen Law Firm, ###-###-####. He is a Christian, wonderful man, but a bulldog on behalf of his clients. The website is www.haugenlawfirm.com. Best wishes and God bless!!!
Contact SMU - Southern Methodist University and inquire about their legal assistance program. At one time they had a "free" consulting program. Never hurts to inquire.
Also, leave the guy alone. The more you guys hammer the guy, the more he will act the fool. Mininum contact. Hope this guy is nuetered because if he's not and the other gal knows you guys are tugging at him, and she wants him really, really bad, there could be a whole new arena...she getting pregnant. So leave the guy alone... make minimum contact with him.... contact SMU or whomever you select for an attorney. And remember get child support/insurance/savings plan through their college years! Occupational therapist is a good field but what about getting a two year nursing degree at Collin County Community College? Your daughter could work weekends and be home during the week with the children. There are academic scholarships for single parents. Talk to a financial aid advisor or even a hospital person. Sometimes hospitals will pay for their employees to get advanced degrees. Again, never know till one inquires. In the meantime, spend time with the granddaughter by taking her to the park, library, reading to her... When she starts talking about her Daddy do not really deter her but answer the question and move on quickly. The less said about her daddy to her the better. And do not degrade the guy in front or in listening ear shot of the children. This will only make her want her daddy more as in a defending mode. Tell your daughter to put God first, her children second, and everything at another level. And by all means, do not get involved in a relationship till her children are out of high school. Children get attached to the boyfriends/girlfriends like the parent does and when the parents break up with which ever, the child suffers the lose as well. Children live by example.
Good luck.
Justin Kendall Attorney-###-###-####
He is a great attorney out of Frisco. Wish your daughter the best in dealing with this hard time in her life. She is very blessed to have you in her life.
Hi L.
i don't have advice but i want to send my prayers her way! :) This story broke my heart... i couldn't even begin to imagine taking care of my 21 month old alone..let alone two.... how terrible this must be! I'm so sorry! Does she happen to live anywhere close to flower mound? i clean houses and would be willing to help her out if i can!
take care and good luck
S.
I don't know of any, but I this makes me sad (and mad). If this guy isn't ready for a family, why did he get married? Abandonment is a crime and I say stick him with all the child support you can get! And take 1/2 of his retirement and any other 401k and other plans he may have at work. She may need it later. Ask that he pays at least 1/2 of all medical bills. Have the lawyer make him get a life insurance policy with your daughter and you as beneficiary for a certain amount of money. Make sure that he covers the children on HIS medical insurance plan until they are 18 (longer if they are a college student-but good luck on this one). Depending on how long they have been married, she may be able to get spousal support until she gets on her feet. And maybe he can buy out her 1/2 of the house so she and the kids don't have to be uprooted from their home. Specify in the divorce papers that he is responsible for the cost of the divorce and attorney fees. Bring all of this to the lawyer and he will set it up. I despise men who just want out for selfish reasons. Stick it to him good, because he's already done it to her. She needs to file first, as soon as possible, then he'll have to get a lawyer to fight the conditions if he doesn't agree to them. There's an advantage to filing first! If he's not ready for his responsibilities now......Just wait!
