ex husband owes me lawyer fees, how do i make him pay it

by Dr. Alessandra Lang IV 10 min read

If there is equity in the house, you may be able to force him to sell or refinance so you can be paid. Your first stop is a consultation with a divorce attorney. The court may require him to pay your attorney fees.

Full Answer

What can I do if my ex husband owes me money?

Apr 24, 2013 · Dear Michelle, You will need to contact a local attorney that is licensed in your state to understand what the process is an if you have to sue him to recover money he owes you. Please post your responses and follow-up messages to me on this in the comments section below. Sincerly, You are not alone. I'm here to help.

Why is it so hard to get your ex husband to pay?

Oct 31, 2016 · If he owes you more than his share of proceeds, after the court enters a money judgment for you, you can attach his bank account or garnish his wages. Finally, if your agreement allows for it, you might even collect some attorney's fees for your troubles. But don't count on this resource to pay your lawyer.

What can a judge do if your spouse owes you money?

Whether or not attorney fees are granted is in the discretion of the court. In this state, in general, attorney fees are not ordinarily awarded unless the opposing party is at fault (i.e. in contempt of a custody order, in breach of a property settlement agreement, etc.) …

Are Attorney’s fees fairly considered support?

Mar 08, 2019 · Wife filed a request that Husband pay her fees in the amount of $934,000. Oddly enough, the trial court ordered Wife to pay her Husband’s attorney fees in the amount of $304,000 based on Wife’s counsel’s conduct during the early portion of the case. This was appealed by Wife’s attorney and the appellate court affirmed the trial court ...

Can I sue my ex husband for money owed?

Generally, yes. If a court finds that both spouses received some benefit from a debt, both can be liable for the debt.

Can my ex sue me for money after divorce?

In general, yes you can sue. Whether you will be successful or the judge will toss your case out of court is a different question altogether. You may also be required to pay for your ex's lawyer for filing a frivolous lawsuit. So, you need to be careful before you run to the courthouse with a suit in mind.

Can you sue your ex husband after divorce?

You're free to sue the opposing party for something that has happened after the divorce case, but you cannot go back and sue for something that happened during or beforehand. This is now standard practice for divorce attorneys.Sep 13, 2018

Do I have to pay my ex wife's attorney fees California?

Generally, one spouse can't force the other to pay for their divorce in California. Each spouse pays for their own lawyer and all associated costs.Mar 19, 2020

Can I claim on my ex husband's estate?

Yes. An ex-spouse can claim against an estate if: they have not re-married or formed a civil partnership. the parties have failed to reach a formal financial settlement order or achieved a clean break in their divorce.Nov 27, 2020

Can you pay divorce settlement in installments?

Every case is different and how the payment is made is usually specific to the needs of those involved. The payment could be made in instalments or in one lump sum.

How do I sue my ex for emotional distress?

Suing for emotional damages involve the following steps:Document your distress: You must document your medical records, work records, personal journal, etc. to back up your case. ... Discuss with an attorney: Discuss the case with your attorney.More items...

Can I sue my ex partner for emotional distress?

Emotional Abuse Can Give You the Right to Sue If your spouse has intentionally caused you to suffer emotional distress, you may have the right to file a civil lawsuit for damages. Filing a lawsuit can hold your spouse accountable for their actions and allow you to recover comepnsation.Feb 12, 2019

Can you sue your ex-husband for emotional damages?

The courts recognize emotional distress as a type of damage that can be recovered through a civil lawsuit. This means you can sue someone for emotional trauma or distress if you can provide evidence to support your claims.

Can my spouse make me pay her divorce attorney fees in California?

Family Code sections 2030 states that each party shall have equal access to legal representation in a divorce, legal separation and annulment proceeding, and this means that one spouse may be required to pay the attorney fees of the other spouse.May 11, 2020

What is the American rule of law?

The American Rule is a rule in the U.S. justice system that says two opposing sides in a legal matter must pay their own attorney fees, regardless of who wins the case. The rationale of the rule is that a plaintiff should not be deterred from bringing a case to court for fear of prohibitive costs.

How much does a divorce cost in California without a lawyer?

How much does a divorce cost in California without a lawyer? The basic cost of filing divorce forms in California is $435, but you may have to pay additional court filing fees for a more complicated case, or if your county charges additional fees. Getting divorced with It's Over Easy starts from as low as $9 per month.Apr 29, 2021

What is an award of attorney fees and costs?

An award of attorney’s fees and costs may be granted based on (1) the relative circumstances of the parties; and/or (2) the conduct of the parties’ and/or their attorney that frustrates potential settlement, including any bad faith actions.

Can an attorney's fee be made if one spouse makes more than the other?

Therefore, if one spouse/parent makes a significant amount more than the other party, an attorney’s fee award may be properly made. However, it is important to note that this is only where the disparity in income in significant.

Do you have to demonstrate financial need for an award of attorney's fees?

The Code goes on to state that “In order to obtain an award under this section, the party requesting an award of attorney's fees and costs is not required to demonstrate any financial need for the award.”.

Can a court take a motion for attorney's fees?

The court does not take a motion for attorney’s fees lightly, and as such, a justifiable need for the other party to contribute to one’s fees and costs must be adequately demonstrated. However, financial need is not the only way to seek assistance from the other party with one’s fees.

Conrad G Hutterli

In addition to what has been said, I would point out that if a judgment has been signed and entered by the court that includes a money award in favor of you and against your ex spouse and that money award is due and owing and unpaid, subject to the terms of that judgment, you can do a variety of things to collect that judgment.

Diane L Gruber

If the divorce judgment was properly drafted, you would have a lien on the house. If there is equity in the house, you may be able to force him to sell or refinance so you can be paid. Your first stop is a consultation with a divorce attorney. The court may require him to pay your attorney fees. Good luck, Diane...

Joanne Reisman

I am not sure I understand the facts - I think you are saying that there is a Judgment against your ex for a set sum of money at 5% interest. First of all the default interest rate on Judgments is 9% so it sounds like you agreed to a lower interest rate then you needed. to.

Why do we use QDROs in divorce?

Indeed, that is how QDROs are typically used in divorce -- to ensure equitable division of a spouse’s retirement plan benefits as part of a settlement. That’s a great help for divorcing women building a financial strategy for retirement. And, because federal law provides that a retirement plan can be used as a source of funds for child support ...

Is a blog post legal advice?

All articles/blog posts are for informational purposes only, and do not constitute legal advice. If you require legal advice, retain a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, who is not an attorney.

Is there a penalty for a QDRO?

One last thing: If your divorce team is considering using a QDRO as part of your divorce proceedings or settlement agreement, be sure that you understand the tax implications involved. Generally, there is no penalty attached to an alternate payee’s distribution of benefits under a QDRO.

Do ex husbands honor divorce settlements?

The sad truth of the matter, borne out by U.S. Census data, is that the majority of ex-husbands simply don’t honor the financial terms of their divorce settlements. Moreover, it can be exceedingly difficult to get your non-paying ex to make good on his obligation for spousal support.

Can support arrearages be paid through retirement?

Support arrearages can be ordered to be paid through the non-paying ex’s retirement plan. But, meticulous review by a qualified attorney is essential before drafting a QDRO for recovering past-due support payments.