Can't Afford Divorce

Submitted by lazy000 on

Jurisdiction: 

Area of Law: 

Question: 

My husband is VERY verbally abusive and is an alcoholic. I need to get my 5 year old son away from him - as well as myself. However, I cannot afford an attorney..what can I do?

Selected Answer: 

If you cannot afford to hire

Submitted by elizabethcarlsen on

If you cannot afford to hire an attorney to represent you in a divorce, you can file for divorce on your own without legal assistance. However, there are many low cost legal aid agencies available that you may be eligible to use. For example, see http://www.lawhelpmn.org/about-us. In addition, if your income is low, you may be able to waive the divorce filing fee by completing a fee waiver form and presenting it to the court clerk when you file your divorce paperwork. You may be eligible for the fee waiver if you receive public assistance, your income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level or you can show that you do not have enough money to afford to pay the filing fee. While the waiver does not apply to any legal representation in your case, it will allow you to initiate your divorce case without the cost of a filing fee. After you present your paperwork to the clerk, the clerk will ask you to sign the waiver and will explain the procedure for presenting the waiver to the judge for approval. For more information about getting relief from domestic violence, see http://www.freelegalaid.com/nav/minnesota/divorce-and-family-law/article/getting-relief-domestic-violence-minnesota.

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If you cannot afford to hire

Submitted by elizabethcarlsen on

If you cannot afford to hire an attorney to represent you in a divorce, you can file for divorce on your own without legal assistance. However, there are many low cost legal aid agencies available that you may be eligible to use. For example, see http://www.lawhelpmn.org/about-us. In addition, if your income is low, you may be able to waive the divorce filing fee by completing a fee waiver form and presenting it to the court clerk when you file your divorce paperwork. You may be eligible for the fee waiver if you receive public assistance, your income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level or you can show that you do not have enough money to afford to pay the filing fee. While the waiver does not apply to any legal representation in your case, it will allow you to initiate your divorce case without the cost of a filing fee. After you present your paperwork to the clerk, the clerk will ask you to sign the waiver and will explain the procedure for presenting the waiver to the judge for approval. For more information about getting relief from domestic violence, see http://www.freelegalaid.com/nav/minnesota/divorce-and-family-law/article/getting-relief-domestic-violence-minnesota.