Divorce Advice | Understand Your Legal Rights

Kaleel Anwar, a specialist divorce lawyer, gives his top tips for anyone unsure whether they want to go through with divorce.

Here, he gives his first piece of advice: to understand your legal rights.

Transcript:

Given that many people are approaching us for the first time, it’s a really difficult time for everyone that comes to speak to me. There’s lots of people who have taken conflicting information, don’t really know where to go, what to believe. I think it’s helpful to have some tips from someone who deals with this on a day-to-day basis, who knows what the legal position is and can help you out.

I think my first tip would be that you need to understand what your legal rights are. There’s a lot of documents, there’s lots of things that are going to be presented in front of you. You might receive documents in the post. You might receive information from your husband or your wife to say actually you’re going to receive x, y or z documents. You might not fully understand what the legal effect of each of those documents are. But also you’re going to be asked to review a divorce petition. It’s quite a lengthy document, it’s got various sections, which have legal jargon within it. I think it’s important you know that you can go and speak to a person who understands the contents of it and explain what the cost implications are going to be, and then at least you’re aware of what’s involved.

[janicedavis]

I am. 3rd party to this horrible situation... Does anyone know or have any advise I would appreciate it.. I will explain.. My boyfriend got a divorce in 2008 he was told he would have to pay his ex two hundred dollars every 2 weeks for 9 years that’s half of the time they were married in the mean time he just let her have the house and all it’s contents witch he was told by his lawyer that would be in his best interest to do.. Ao she sold the house received that money, he also finished paying off the car she was driving paid off all the debts they had together.. In the meantime he has lost his job three or 4 times because the Mill he worked at closed down.. He still was trying to continue to make payments to her even when he was only drawing unemployment.. He would fall behind on payments to her but he would try to get caught up.. Now 2018 he drew his retirement check he got 48, 000 and she got about 40, 000 and still is getting $400 dollars a month.. Now she took him back to court when he did fall behind to get another $400 a month so mind you now instead of just $400 a month she is now getting $800 a month.. He is now only making $16 dollars an hour when he use to make $32 dollars an hour.. Also mind you she is also getting a disability check and I am sure she probably has section 8 housing.. He has to try and pay a $900 dollar a month house payment, pay all the household bills. This is why now I feel like I have some same so in this matter.. I now have to pay the house payment.. which I feel is not my responsibility.. I feel like now that I am involved in this matter.. that I want to know what if anything we can do about this?