questions & answers

Question: Through my divorce my ex new how to take advantage of my situation which was my drug abuse issue she her attorney and the judge knew I was high on heroin and meth through the whole divorce I did lie when asked at court if I was high but everyone knew it. I am now clean 85 days and realized how bad I have been taken advance of . All my money my belongings were taken by her as she had an order of protection she had a high dollar attorney and got screwed. Az law states if I were under the influence then the divorce is not valid is this true??!

Answer: When you lied to the Court about being high, the judge made an assessment that you were capable of litigating your case.  If the judge had decided otherwise, he or she would have suspended proceedings.  Now, looking back, you realized you did yourself a disservice by claiming sobriety in court.  If you need detailed advice about your chances of going back and revisiting the property issues with the court, you will need legal advice based on all your information.  There are three programs in Arizona that you can use to get inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the modest means program.  You will need to apply for the program and meet the financial qualifications.  Once you are qualified, Modest Means will send you a list of attorneys whose practice covers your area of concern.  You select a lawyer from the list and will be entitled to a one hour consultation for $75.  If you need additional help and if the lawyer agrees to take your case, the most you will be charged is  $75 per  hour.  The telephone number is (866) 637-5341.  Both Maricopa and Pima Counties have lawyer referral programs that offer a 30 minute consult with an attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers its 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney for $40.  The telephone number is (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute attorney consult for $35.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.