Support a Mother's Fight for Justice and Stability

Thanks to one of his victims bravely coming forward to expose a horrible, dark secret, my husband was arrested in November 2022—just months after my year-long struggle with breast cancer had concluded. On October 23, 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for years of the sexual assault of children under the age of 14.

When I hired my divorce attorney in December 2022, everything started off wonderfully. She was moving things right along and it seemed like hope was glistening on the not-too-distant horizon. I was sure that getting a divorce from such a wicked person was going to be smooth and mostly painless—after all, it was uncontested and there would be no custody battle. Unfortunately, as I write this, (almost exactly two years after I retained her services) the situation thus far has been anything but smooth and painless. As it turned out, my attorney started pumping the brakes shortly before things were beginning to look like they would wrap up. It is clear to me now that she is simply seeking to take advantage of my weakened position and take me for every dollar she can get by dragging this divorce out as long as possible.

My attorney has lied to and misled me at every turn since August 2023—conveniently, right as my divorce was close to being settled. Part of the complication has been that my husband served in the military and was a federal civil servant, so there are details about my entitlement to his pensions that only a military lawyer can address. The first office she referred me to charged me $150 for a consultation, during which, I learned they don't even offer the services that I require. Once I reported back to her, her response was "Well, you are going to have to find someone who can help." So, I began the search on my own and paid additional consultation fees with more lawyers that couldn't provide this very specific language that is needed. After a year of searching on my own, her office called me and her paralegal referred me to a local office that would be able to help. That paralegal was only with her office for a short time, but I am very thankful for her. I recently hired that attorney and they provided the language I need within less than two weeks.

It would seem that I should be good to move forward, however, due to my divorce attorney's lack of honesty and her unethical treatment of me, I filed a grievance with the New York State BAR Association back in July of this year and the investigation is currently ongoing. My goal is to get my money back and find a new attorney who can get me divorced from this monster once and for all. I do not know how long this process will take and I do not know if I will actually get my retainer back. (Side note: I have spoken to at least 3 other local law offices that have validated my concerns about my attorney and agree that reporting her was the right thing to do. Apparently she has a reputation...) In the meantime, since my incarcerated husband cannot pay for his share of our marital debt or pay child support, I have had to rely on food banks, help from family and friends, and charitable donations to get by over the last two years. I have a full-time job and I do not qualify for any government assistance. On multiple occasions, my bank account has been in the negative between paychecks. I have almost had my vehicle repossessed two different times and, if not for the help of a local non-profit organization that supports veterans in need, I would long ago have been evicted from my apartment (for those of you who don't know, I am an Army veteran).

I am hoping that with this GoFundMe, I might be able so secure some, if not all, of the funds needed to get this divorce over once-and-for-all. The toll this emotional and financial situation has taken on my mental health cannot be understated. I don't know how much longer I can hold onto what little sanity I have left as I pay the bills of two people with only one paycheck. My family and I didn't ask for this. His disgusting actions destroyed two young peoples' understanding of trust and safety and caused what I fear might be irreparable emotional damage. The least I could do is close this chapter, shed his name, and provide the closure we all so desperately need.

Any little bit you can do brings us one step closer.