why my ex spouse divorce lawyer doesn't respond

He can't continue to represent you because you are not paying his bills. Attorneys are not free. They get paid for provide you with their time, knowledge and services. Now, it's often the case in a divorce that money is tight and most attorneys are sensitive to this, but they have to pay their bills too and can't work for free.

Full Answer

Why doesn’t my Ex have a divorce lawyer?

Requesting a Default "Default" is the legal term to describe the failure to respond to a lawsuit, including a divorce petition or complaint. In the divorce context, if you serve your spouse with a divorce complaint, and it goes unanswered, you can ask a judge to grant your divorce by default.

What happens if my spouse doesn't respond to my divorce complaint?

Aug 04, 2016 · Your spouse’s failure to respond will be treated as an agreement to your terms. You’ll have to prove to the court that you provided your spouse with proper notice of the divorce. If your spouse has moved without giving you a new address or is avoiding service, a judge may allow you to publish a divorce notice in a local newspaper.

Do I need a lawyer to settle my divorce?

1. Avoiding Acceptance of Service of the Complaint for Divorce. Sometimes the person who doesn’t want the divorce will try to avoid accepting delivery of the complaint. If you and your lawyer decide to mail the complaint, your spouse could decide not to pick up the complaint.

Can a lawyer represent your spouse in a divorce?

Lawyers are required to reasonably respond. 2. Send your request by email, fax or overnight mail. 3. Do not repeatedly contact the lawyer. Reasonable requests means reasonable in number, frequency and topic. 4. Don*t ask the same the questions over and over 5. Be efficient. 6. Remember, while your case is important, it is not the attorney*s only case.

What do you do when a lawyer doesn't respond?

If your lawyer still does not respond, you can send him or her a letter explaining the communication problems. If at this point you do not hear anything from your lawyer, you should consult with a legal malpractice attorney.Sep 27, 2018

Is it normal to not hear from your lawyer?

Throughout the process of getting your financial settlement after becoming injured, there may be periods of time that you do not hear from your attorney. Although this can be unnerving, it is a normal part of the legal process.Oct 25, 2018

How long should a lawyer take to respond?

A: The lawyer should be responsive to your questions within 24-48 hours after you left a message. If the lawyer is not responsive, perhaps he or she is on vacation and unable to return.Dec 28, 2019

Why do lawyers not call back?

This is how the practice of law is supposed to work. So often when a lawyer does not return your call for a few days it may simply mean your lawyer is busy getting some important work done in your case or in another client's case. There is nothing going on with your case.May 9, 2018

Why do lawyers ignore you?

There's bad news your attorney doesn't want to deliver. If your attorney is not experienced or efficient, they may have missed a deadline or made another mistake and aren't willing to confess their error. There could also be some bad news that is entirely outside of the attorney's control.Mar 29, 2021

Why do attorneys take so long to respond?

Your Lawyer Is Busy with Other Cases Your attorney may not be able to respond to you right away because they're dealing with another client's negotiations or trial. Being busy with another client isn't an excuse to completely fail to respond to another client.Jul 29, 2020

How often should I hear from my attorney?

Once a month is a good rule of thumb if things are slow, but if you are preparing for trial or in my case an administrative benefits hearing, the contact with you and your attorney should be more frequent and specifically scheduled.

What should you not say to a lawyer?

9 Taboo Sayings You Should Never Tell Your LawyerI forgot I had an appointment. ... I didn't bring the documents related to my case. ... I have already done some of the work for you. ... My case will be easy money for you. ... I have already spoken with 5 other lawyers. ... Other lawyers don't have my best interests at heart.More items...•Mar 17, 2021

How often should you talk to your attorney?

You should never be afraid or feel like an intrusion to contact your attorney every three weeks or so, or more frequently if there is a lot going on with your health or other matters related to your legal case. There is of course a limit to how much you should be contacting or sharing.Jun 17, 2020

How do you know a bad lawyer?

Signs of a Bad LawyerBad Communicators. Communication is normal to have questions about your case. ... Not Upfront and Honest About Billing. Your attorney needs to make money, and billing for their services is how they earn a living. ... Not Confident. ... Unprofessional. ... Not Empathetic or Compassionate to Your Needs. ... Disrespectful.Aug 19, 2020

What do you call your lawyer?

advocate, attorney, attorney-at-law, counsel, counselor.

What happens if you don't respond to a divorce petition?

Your spouse’s failure to respond will be treated as an agreement to your terms. You’ll have to prove to the court that you provided your spouse with proper notice of the divorce.

How to speed up divorce?

For some couples, divorce is often a long and painful process. But it doesn’t have to be. Your divorce can move forward amicably and at a reasonable pace. Even spouses who drag their feet in a divorce don’t necessarily control the process. You and your attorney can discuss ways to get your divorce going ...

How long do you have to wait to get divorced?

For example, in many states there’s a mandatory waiting period in a contested divorce. That period can force a couple to wait anywhere from 30 to 90 days from the time they submit their divorce paperwork to when the judge will sign off and grant the divorce.

How long does it take for a divorce to be uncontested?

However, in most cases one spouse files and serves a divorce complaint and the other spouse has 20 or so days to file a response.

What happens if my spouse doesn't respond to my divorce letter?

The remedy is called a default judgment. In a divorce case, it is called a default divorce or default divorce judgment. So if your spouse does not respond to your lawyer’s letter and your lawyer does not hear from a lawyer representing your spouse, your remedy is to move forward with the process of getting a default judgment and final decree of divorce.

What to do if my spouse doesn't file a complaint?

If your spouse does not file an answer to the complaint, despite receiving a copy of the Entry of Default, the next step is to file a motion for an entry of a default judgment and decree of divorce with a request for the judge to schedule a hearing to approve the divorce. Typically, your lawyer will file all of the final court documents with ...

How long does it take to file a complaint with your spouse?

Once the process server delivers the complaint to your spouse, he or she has 20 days to file to file an answer to the complaint. Your spouse may continue to stall by not filing an answer to the complaint.

What is a default divorce?

In a divorce case, it is called a default divorce or default divorce judgment. So if your spouse does not respond to your lawyer’s letter and your lawyer does not hear from a lawyer representing your spouse, your remedy is to move forward with the process of getting a default judgment and final decree of divorce.

How to file a complaint against your spouse?

1. Get an Entry of Default Against Your Spouse. The first step is to file an Application for Entry of Default with the Clerk of the Court. The Application for Entry Default advises the Clerk that the 20-day deadline has passed without the defendant or the defendant’s attorney filing an answer to the complaint.

Is divorce final?

Once your divorce is final, you will probably breathe a sigh of relief. After all, you think, your divorce is final. In the majority of cases, this is correct. But not always. Here are a couple of post-divorce tactics your ex-spouse may attempt to use against you.

Can my spouse be obstructive after divorce?

Your spouse could continue to be obstructive even after the divorce is final. For example, your spouse may refuse to sign quitclaim deeds or vehicle titles over to you. Your spouse may fail to pay court-ordered child support. However, if this were to occur, you could go back to court to seek enforcement of the final divorce decree and a court order awarding you attorney’s fees.

Why do I get divorced?

If I had to bet, I would say that one of the reasons you are getting divorced, or already divorced is because of conflicts with your spouse over parenting. It's very common and one of the more stressful phases of a divorce.

What happens when you retain a lawyer?

When you retain a lawyer, whether for a divorce or another issue, the lawyer is ethically charged with holding what you say to him/her as confidential.

Who is Jason Levoy?

Jason Levoy, a/k/a The Divorce Resource Guy, is an attorney who teaches people without a lawyer how to navigate the divorce process and represent themselves in court.

Do divorce attorneys get paid?

Attorneys are not free. They get paid for provide you with their time, knowledge and services. Now, it's often the case in a divorce that money is tight and most attorneys are sensitive to this, but they have to pay their bills too and can't work for free. You can't expect them to work for free.

Do attorneys charge hourly?

Most attorneys charge on an hourly basis, which is stated in your retainer agreement. Clients pay for an attorney's time. Your attorney is not your therapist, although I play one on t.v. I always tell clients I will talk to you as long as you want, but don't be surprised when you get the bill.

Is it important to have a therapist?

It's very important, but that's more the job of a therapist. If you're going to spend money, might as well do so to a qualified professional counselor. Your attorney will contact you when he/she needs something from you. There are periods in every case where nothing is going on and there is down time.

Can an attorney help you?

You don't help him help you. Remember, your attorney is YOUR advocate, even if you don't always feel that's the case. However, he is not a mind reader. Your attorney can only work with what you tell him and what documents you give him to back up what you tell him.

How to contact a divorce attorney?

If you'd like to talk about how to navigate the divorce process, or to learn more about different tacitcs to makes the most of your challenges schedule a consultation or please call us today at 425-460-0550.

How long do you have to wait to get divorced?

After the judge signs your order, you must wait a total of 90 days from the date you filed the petition or from the date you served the petition before a judge is able to sign your divorce papers. And even then, your divorce may drag beyond the 90 days.

What are the things that can be done during a divorce?

1. Abusing the discovery process. It is normal for both sides to ask for evidence during the divorce process, but some spouses may drag out your divorce by filing excessive requests and motions. Suddenly, you are asked to produce huge amounts of information, bringing the process to a crawl. 2.

Is divorce possible?

But in other cases, one of the spouses is unwilling to accept the end of the marriage. It doesn't mean that a divorce isn't possible, but it does complicate things and can draw out the process longer.

Is divorce an emotional time?

Divorce is an emotional time. Sometimes people just need time to process it. If you are getting divorced – whether your spouse is willing or not – get legal representation. It's important to have a lawyer who can help you negotiate with your spouse and manage the legal process for you.

Is Washington a no fault state?

Washington is a no-fault divorce state, meaning that no one has to prove fault in order to get a divorce. All a petitioner must state is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. However, regardless of the no-fault law, you still must wait a minimum of 90 days before a judge will sign your divorce decree. Even if your spouse were willing ...

What is an attorney's fee award?

an attorney's fee award— where your spouse pays for the attorney’s fees you incurred in bringing the motion. evidentiary sanctions—where the court prevents your spouse from introducing certain evidence at trial, and. jail time—ordering that your spouse spend a certain amount of time in jail.

What is a request for production of documents?

Whether you live in a mandatory disclosure state or not, you can send your spouse a formal request for information, typically called a “Request for Production of Documents.”. You can also send questions for your spouse to answer under oath, called “Interrogatories.”.

Why is it important to settle a divorce case?

Getting a fair settlement avoids the additional stress and money involved in going to court and asking a judge to decide your case. Settling will also allow you to resolve your divorce much faster than if you went to trial.

How long does it take to get divorced in Florida?

In Florida, divorcing couples that went to trial waited an average of 5 more months, and in New Jersey, it took our readers an average of 21 months to complete divorces that went to trial, compared to 6 months for cases that settled.

How to ask for custody of a child?

Your lawyer knows to ask for everything you want, such as: 1 your specific terms for legal and physical custody 2 any visitation that you specify 3 a specific amount of alimony and child support 4 your proposal for what to do with the family home, and 5 your proposals for any other items, such as cars, personal property, life and health insurance, and retirement accounts.