Legal Question in Family Law in California

My spouse has stopped his direct deposit check from going into our joint checking account and has opened an account of his own. I am not working. He is giving me little money, like an allowance. He is paying all the bills, but have no money to buy basic necessities I need for myself or our children. What Can I do/


Asked on 10/20/09, 7:05 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Delilah Knox Rios Delilah Knox Rios, Attorney At Law, APLC

If you are agreeable to living under those conditions, you are at his mercy at least for the foreseeable future. If you wish to change your life, perhaps you can try marriage counseling with him so that he can see that you are unhappy and how his power plays have cost him. If he does not wish to change, you must change. You must be proactive with your own life, such as look for employment, move out, go to school, and take charge of your life. If there is violence involved, you may seek assistance of Domestic Violence shelters, like the House of Ruth. You can go to the Court houses in California and ask the Court facilitator to assist you in preparing dissolution of marriage or legal separation papers. There should be a legal aid office in your county, but understand that there is a lot of need and not much money. Seek counseling for yourself and your children to that you can become actively involved in freeing yourself from your situation. Perhaps a good mediator can help you with your divorce.

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Answered on 10/21/09, 8:33 pm


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