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I have a friend whose husband has walked out on her and her 3 little kids. He has filed for divorce and she needs to get a lawyer now. The problem is, she is on social security and has no money for a lawyer and no prospects of getting money. Her family will not help her. My question is, who helps people like this? I could give her about $1000, but that's not enough for the lawyer. Iowa Legal Aid is understaffed and cannot help her. When my mom got divorced 20 years ago her lawyer made my dad pay for both lawyers because she had no money. Do lawyers still do this? Any suggestions? Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

If he walked out on her and abandoned 3 kids, he will pay a big price for that. Tell your friend immediately to go to court to ask for assistance with something like a public defender attorney, or find a free consultation attorney in the yellow page/internet to explain her situation and file for temporary support. Most of the time, the court awards attorney fee to people like your friend and makes her husband pay for it if he is working. Regardless, a temporary order will spell out all supports (for children and spouse) and temporary custody of the kids. Tell her to act quick.

Tell her to try contacting her local clerk of courts office. I think that she can file a financial affidavit to get a court appointed attorney if she has certain financial needs. It's a place to start anyway. BTW what area of Iowa is she in, I may be able to make a referral for a free consultation attorney if she is in the same area I am. Good Luck!

She's in Cherokee. The only lawyer in town that takes people unable to pay her husband has. I will give her the information about the financial affidavit - thanks for the info.

I agree with DVD that she needs to get moving on the other areas (temporary support, custody) and she would only need to start at the local child support office. They may be able to refer her to all the other sources she needs, if she asks. Her husband's lawyer may be the only one in town who will willingly take someone unable to pay, but he shouldn't be the only lawyer in town for people with special circumstances. Sometimes, the court will appoint lawyers that do pro bono work or work for the court at reduced fees. I had that situation once before, but domestic violence preceded the divorce filing.

I am presently in this very same situation. My husband walked out on me and our 6 yr old son last november technically he came over for a couple days in the beginning of Jan and we have not seen him since. I've spoke very little to him and my son is so emotionally confused that just recently I got him in to see a Therapist. My situation was one that took alot of repeated calling to various resources that were given to me. I was on a waiting list that was not moving and finally after months of no car no money home in foreclosure due to hubby using the money to buy himself new cadillac to work his daily construction job that mind you "1099 accidently sent to me in mail revealed he made nearly 150,000.0" Im presently on assistance with a developmentally delayed 6 yr old and I have ovarian cancer. Finally the supervisor of the legal aide division in my county went out of his way to find a pro bono lawyer whom once worked with and still does take on certain cases for "voluntarilly" Repor!And mind you is now one of the top divorce lawyers around. He called me in heard my case and had me signing papers within 15 minutes. we still do not have a scheduled court date waiting on response from my husband's attorney but there's hopefully some light here so keep calling woman's organization's 611 united way crisis center's etc., there's help you just have to keep calling no matter how many dead end's you hit, someone will hear you! And how did your husband get the low-income help attorney that don't sound right?