finding a lawyer (child support related)
Posted: March 16th, 2017, 11:22 am
Hello all, I'm trying to help my sister-in-law with a difficult situation she found herself in. She isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but needs to get a lawyer to help with a claim for back payment of child support that the CSA can no longer act on (or so they say).
The situation is this:
- Sis & hubby had a bad breakup when their kid was 7 (now just turned 18) and he moved out and they divorced.
- They sold the house and he agree to pay £35k as a deposit on a new house for Sis & kid (she had a mortgage of £60k on the new place) and agreed to pay child support for the kid up to age 18. So far so good.
- Hubby stopped paying child support after a few payments and moved to Thailand with a new girlfriend (now wife). The CSA chased him via letter a few times and gave up trying to reach him.
-Hubby dropped off the radar (his family stonewalled us when trying to get info) and in spite of the odd sneaky drop-by to see his kid when he was in the country (he would arrange this with his kid by email), he was absent.
-Last year Sis lost her job locally and ended up moving to London to get another one, but the time out of work and the cost of keeping 2 places going had burned any savings and dropped her in a hole of debt (she didn't tell us until she was nearly buried) so she is selling the house.
That leads us to the situation she is in now - hubby owes £50k is unpaid child support but the CSA refuse to go after him for is as the child is now just over 18. She is going to have to give about half the profit from the proceeds of the house sale (£35k) to him in spite of him owing her £50k. She will have very little left after paying off her loans etc she has built up just to keep the lights on.
Hubby is refusing to answer solicitors letters sent to the family address (the family still refuse to give details other than his bank details). We have his email but he is refusing to negotiate over the debt.
This is why we need a specialist who understands the law in this sort of situation and can hopefully avoid her giving away the money he loaned for the mortgage on the house when he owes much more to her.
The CSA have a difficult case here but their refusal to go after debt built up when the kid was a minor now is galling.
If anyone can recommend a suitable legal professional that can help, ideally be based in London (central/west) and is available soon - I would be grateful.
Thanks
Iain
The situation is this:
- Sis & hubby had a bad breakup when their kid was 7 (now just turned 18) and he moved out and they divorced.
- They sold the house and he agree to pay £35k as a deposit on a new house for Sis & kid (she had a mortgage of £60k on the new place) and agreed to pay child support for the kid up to age 18. So far so good.
- Hubby stopped paying child support after a few payments and moved to Thailand with a new girlfriend (now wife). The CSA chased him via letter a few times and gave up trying to reach him.
-Hubby dropped off the radar (his family stonewalled us when trying to get info) and in spite of the odd sneaky drop-by to see his kid when he was in the country (he would arrange this with his kid by email), he was absent.
-Last year Sis lost her job locally and ended up moving to London to get another one, but the time out of work and the cost of keeping 2 places going had burned any savings and dropped her in a hole of debt (she didn't tell us until she was nearly buried) so she is selling the house.
That leads us to the situation she is in now - hubby owes £50k is unpaid child support but the CSA refuse to go after him for is as the child is now just over 18. She is going to have to give about half the profit from the proceeds of the house sale (£35k) to him in spite of him owing her £50k. She will have very little left after paying off her loans etc she has built up just to keep the lights on.
Hubby is refusing to answer solicitors letters sent to the family address (the family still refuse to give details other than his bank details). We have his email but he is refusing to negotiate over the debt.
This is why we need a specialist who understands the law in this sort of situation and can hopefully avoid her giving away the money he loaned for the mortgage on the house when he owes much more to her.
The CSA have a difficult case here but their refusal to go after debt built up when the kid was a minor now is galling.
If anyone can recommend a suitable legal professional that can help, ideally be based in London (central/west) and is available soon - I would be grateful.
Thanks
Iain