Legal Question in Family Law in California
Pretty much want to know how to get the petitioner in a family law case to pay attorneys fees! He has gotten a couple thousand behind in the year since court, but has good job and does not pay any bills, Was trying to get full custody because I was having another child & had family paying for good attrny, we worked it out in mediation, but this whole thing was unnecessary and I now have a $6,000+ attrnys bill, I just want this paid for and believe he should pay it dont want to write to much detail but what are the reasons a judge in norwalk, ca would grant a respondent attorneys fees and how would I go about starting that process?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Your chance to ask for those attorneys fees was in the proceeding to establish the custody order. You can't go back and ask for it now. If he's behind on support payments, however, you can take him to court on that and ask for the attorneys fees for that, but again, you can't go back and ask for them later. They have to be requested in the proceeding at the same time.
Agree with above, but you should have an attorney look at the judgement to see exactly what he was ordered to pay and to whom.