Question: My name is on all the bills and I want to shut off electric, phone, cable, computer.She has a job, but I have paid these bills for the two years of our marriage. The problem is that, now that we are getting a divorce, she is running all the bills up by apparently leaving the water running and the lights on. She has also upgraded to the most expensive cable and Internet plan. All of these bills have at least doubled since three months ago when I was still living in the house and I can prove it. Can I do this without legal backlash?

by Dorothy Ripka of Cordell & Cordell, P.C.

This case is uncontested.  We are using one attorney.  My wife hired him.  

First things first, an attorney can ethically only represent one person in a divorce.  One person retains the attorney, and is therefore entitled to the benefit of legal advice.  If your wife hires the attorney, then the attorney only owes an ethical obligation to her.  This attorney's obligation is to advise her of the positives and negatives and even the unknowns of the agreement that the two of you may or may not have.  She will receive the benefit of this advice, not you. 

By Barry Finkel

In the age of digital communications, there now are three sides to every divorce story: his, hers, and what’s being stored by the phone company.

Digital communications, like e-mail, instant messaging and increasing text messaging using a wireless phone, has opened new lines of communication between people. This includes couples facing divorce. While e-mail and IM are commonly used, most should be wary of texting. Why? Many people who text often will message their spouse, friends or even a lover with whom they’re having an affair, revealing intentions, intimate details and negotiation strategies.

Question: My wife has just told me that she wants to rent a town house for her and our 4 children to live in. She says that she has been on a waiting list for 2 years. She has told me that she will not be filing for a legal separation, nor will she be contacting the friend of the courts to pursue child support. Further more she also says she wants me to live in our house so the kids can also come "home." She says that she doesn't want the kids' lives to change.

To make a long story short, she wants to work out all means of child support between the two of us without any legal intervention. This sounds all well and good if we can keep the peace, but if she goes through with her new living arrangements, then decides to take legal action, how will that affect me? How would you recommend I jump on this favorable situation before it goes bad? Also, how can I gently get all of this in writing without triggering some defensive re-consideration on her part?

Question:

I am a legal resident of the United States of America and I have a 3 year old daughter currently living in Mexico. The mother has informed me that she can no longer take care of our daughter and gave me full custody of her.

I need to bring her to the United States, but I am afraid for her safety. Can I just bring my daughter to live with me in the US, or is there a process for this?