Legal Question in Family Law in California

Hi, I want to divorce my alcoholic husband but now he is threatening me that I'll be liable for 1/2 of his debt, about $50K. I wasn't aware of that debt until recently, and as far as i know he had most of his debt from before we got married, but he refinanced after the marriage. ALso he is giving me hard time for the notice to vacate of the apartment we share, and he has make other bogus threats against me. should I get a lawyer? with a paralegal will be enough? BTW no kids, no property in common.

thank you for your answer!


Asked on 8/08/10, 2:03 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Rhonda Ellifritz Law Offices of Rhonda Ellifritz

When you have no assets, no debts, and no kids, (i.e., absolutely nothing to fight over) THEN you may not need an attorney. I have seen so many people try to do things cheap and then have to hire an attorney to fix it, or even worse, be stuck with a final order that you cannot change! A paralegal can lead you down the wrong path, and what then? Are you willing to pay the price for their mistakes? I have seen too many times where people use paralegals, who are not trained nor legally able to give legal advice and are not monitored like attorneys are, only to end up paying for it in the long run. You may still be on the hook for that debt, especially if he can't pay it. Without more information, I can't tell you about the other threats he is making, but believe me, it is worth hiring a lawyer to take his calls rather than listening to the ranting and raving and getting you upset. You need to work on getting your life back in order, and he will do everything to try to keep you from doing that.

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Answered on 8/13/10, 3:30 pm
Anthony Roach Law Office of Anthony A. Roach

A paralegal is not allowed to function in this state unless supervised by a licensed attorney. Anyone who tells you anything different is setting you up for a scam. Paralegals work for attorneys, not the public.

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Answered on 8/15/10, 6:06 pm


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