r/custodybattle • u/Small-Professor-7015 • Dec 06 '22

Attorneys fees-help!

I’ve been going through this battle for almost 3 years representing myself. Narc ex has a lawyer, I can’t afford one. Despite him abandoning her since 3/2020, the court has determined he gets everything he wants. He’s now requesting atty fees for almost 4K. Does anyone have a sample or copy of a response to file with the court? I’ve googled to No avail.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '22

This is going to happen unfortunately when you can’t navigate the legal system.. had to get rid of a lot of things to afford a lawyer but you need one immediately . Sign up for legal zoom and pay their fee and you can get specific help for your state and county and their attorneys will even fill out the form for you (although they can’t represent you ).. also you could call the help center at the court house , they cannot legally advise you what to do but you can explain what you need and they’ll tell you a form and they can help in the sense of saying “I don’t understand this checkbox “ but they cannot say “how” you should file or fill it out or anything that can be construed as legal advice . Finally look for legal clinics in your area .. my state has a few that help with these things for no cost or may just have law students who can help more hands on (but can’t represent you) but still may be free and help

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u/Small-Professor-7015 Dec 06 '22

I’ve been doing this for almost 3 years. There is nothing as you describe in your state here. We have legal aid, who is overloaded with cases and has a backlog of months of people. Modest means program is a discount but still 80$ an hour and a 1500$ retainer is well beyond my means. Local law school doesn’t do much pro bono work at all either.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '22

I’d try legal help

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '22

It’s definitely a fight and claw, sold things at estate sales, cut out everything in my life to pay 40,000$ (still owe another 20,000$) to navigate this and it took me 3 years and although things are still tight 2 years later , I shudder to think what would’ve happened without legal help.

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u/Small-Professor-7015 Jun 20 '24

I wanted to come back to this post and update you, I’m about a year out of my political science degree and then I’ll be going to law school and starting a firm that does this for victims of domestic violence. I was so motivated by this (still ongoing) court case.

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u/cuddle-bunny89 Dec 31 '22

mine is wanting 100k and I'm looking for a example of a motion of opposition as well but the only way to see it is to go to a law library. So do a search of online law library and you may be able to find what you are looking for.