Yerik
New
Reged: 09/26/06
Posts: 4
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Okay, so here's the thing. I'm 18 and I live with my mom and step-dad. They've been married for 11 years. My step-dad is an alcoholic, hits my mother, is irresponsible with money, and my mom wants a divorce.
The problem is that she doesn't have any money for a lawyer. She works for my step-dad and makes something like $7 an hour. She's been looking for a better job recently, but since she never went to college she's been having trouble getting one. I really think that their marriage needs to end. Is there anything my mother can do?
In addition to that, she wants to be sure that she'll be able to keep our house that's been in her family for 100 years. However, my step-dad has remortgaged the home a lot and the house payments are something like $1000 a month, which my mother definitely couldn't afford by herself.
So... any advice?
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KGrow
Platinum
Reged: 01/27/06
Posts: 3153
Loc: Colorado
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She should look for a woman's shelter (in the phonebook) from which to get support and legal assistance.
Sound like the husban has essentially sold some of her house back to the bank. She can try to work with the bank to avoid forclosure. That's a tough break.
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Yerik
New
Reged: 09/26/06
Posts: 4
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Update:
My mother spoke to my step-dad who, while still furious, was willing to discuss things and agree that they should get a divorce (I think). She is also going to apply for a job nearby that pays well but doesn't require a degree (yes, they do exist, apparently).
My step-dad is still going to move his daughter and her baby in with us, but if my mom gets to keep the house, that won't last very long, I guess. :P
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Yerik
New
Reged: 09/26/06
Posts: 4
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k, well, my mom went to talk to an attorney (and had to borrow $500 for me to be able to do it). They looked over some papers and it turns out that the business that my step-dad's business was given to him by his parents for $1 when he was married to his last wife. My mom wanted to use the business as a bargaining chip so she could keep the house, but the attorney said that she wouldn't be able to because of that.
My mom hasn't contacted a women's shelter even though I keep telling her to. I don't have any idea what's stopping her.
She's also convinced that the courts "always side with the man" in divorce cases -- a mindset which I think is holding her back from really trying to get help, because she thinks it's hopeless. I try to tell her that that's not true, but she just gets real cocky with me and insists that it is.
Uggghhh. My step-dad makes over $100,000 a year but my mom makes less than $20k. He won't let her get a new job, but she's been looking for one. She doesn't think any place will hire a woman her age and with her lack of education. :|
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