Legal Question in Family Law in District of Columbia

Re: Can't afford an attorney.

Your friend should arrange to contact one of the

neighborhood legal assistance programs located

in the District of Columbia to determine whether they can help her obtain legal representation for her divorce matter.

Re: Can't afford an attorney.

Dear client,

your friend needs legal assistance, but unless she qualifies for one of the pro-bono agencies (Catholic Charities in D.C. is one of them), she will need to secure and pay counsel out of her pocket. Most attorneys will require a retainer to file her paperwork. I do not know of any attorney (in divorce cases) who will take a case on a percentage base, or who will agree to get paid only if the judge orders the husband to pay her legal fees in the final decree order.

However, has she considered the possibility of hiring an attorney who will accept a reduced fee? also... has she considered the possibility of doing this pro-se (meaning without an attorney)? finally, if they maintain a civil relationship, has she considered a "collaborative law" approach which is a lot less expensive (statistically, one hour of collaborative law equals 15 hours of litigation attorney time!!!). let me know....

good luck to your friend.

Tiziana Ventimiglia, Esq.

202/271-5983