I'm a mother of two daughters, who is separated from my husband now for approx. 5 years. Although he has a child support order, he does not pay. My daughters and I moved into a 2 bedroom apt. While my spouse continues to live in our 3 bedroom house and refuses to sell or leave. Because I struggle financially on my own, I surfed the web and called several attorneys for approx. A year to find an attorney who would handle my case and allow me to pay him out of the sale of our house. It didn't matter to me how much they charge, I'll pay it out of the divorce decree to include the sale of the house.
Although my search became lenghty, because no lawyer wants to wait for a house sale (although I already had a broker lined up and in place) I was sent the name of an attorney via email, a divorce attorney referral service, who asks your situation, and emails you some names and numbers the next day. One of the names was Karen DeJong, Esquire, of Wells, Singer, Rubin & Musulin. I called and explained my situation to her. Karen DeJong was a breath of fresh air and very understanding and compassionate. She agreed to handle my case on a contingent basis as I asked, took all information over the phone, had me fax copies of my paycheck to her for her files.
Although I've never met her face to face ever, she began working on my divorce and mailing things to the court. After a couple of weeks she made an appt. For me to come in a meet w/her. I came in but she was sick so her paralegal or secretary filled out some paperwork in her absence and told me she would call me. Karen DeJong sympathetically called me everyday, sometimes 2-3x with her findings about my spouse - mostly in disbelief of what she's learned. (He's a piece of work!) She'd ask about my daughters, and I tell her. She was such a blessing to me I couldn't help but tell my mother that God really blessed me w/putting me in touch with this lawyer. She made me feel like someone cared. She always told me not to worry and that I was a good mother.
Karen and I talked money only once since our initial phone contact, and she asked me was there any type of arrangement that I could do at all. I told her that I could not, because all of our living expenses were on me, including the dental bills for my kids that my spouse was supposed to help me pay for, but has never. She told me okay, and again not to worry.
To my dismay, Karen called me a couple of weeks into this case and told me that she had a family emergency and had to leave the state and go back home. She told me that she would be putting me in good hands and that they were going to take good care of my case. She even assured me that they were going to continue on our verbal agreement to receive pay from the sell of the house. We said our sad goodbyes, and about a day or so later Christopher Musulin, Esq. Called and introduced himself as a senior attorney from Karen DeJong's office. He wanted to talk about charges for my case. I asked him didn't Karen DeJong speak to him about me. He said yes, but he wanted me to come in a meet with him. Especially since I never met Karen DeJong in person yet, I came in to see Christopher Musulin only for him to tell me the Karen DeJong had no right to make that agreement with me. And if he would have known about it, he would have fired her.
I explained that that was the only reason why we continued our phone talks, because she consented to be paid upon the sale of the house. I live barely from check to check, robbing Peter to pay Paul, especially w/o child support. He just continued to tell me that he has bills to pay too, and its just not feasible for him to wait. He then demanded that I pay for services that were already performed by Karen DeJong or their services would be terminated. Not only did he terminate services inspite of our agreement, but further took immediate steps to sue me regardless of not having a signed contract with me.
I've called Christopher Musulin several times, because he started in right away w/threatening letters and legal documents. He knows that I cannot afford an attorney to defend me - now against him, who I was told was going to help me. I pleaded with him and asked that since he refused to honor the verbal agreement that I had with Karen DeJong, don't make my hardship worse by pouring salt into my wounds. It's hurting enough to not be in my home that I helped to pay for and furnish, have your husband emotionally abuse you and your children, and so much more that I cannot express in this setting. Christopher expressed that he did not care, he wants a little over $1200, that I don't have. We had a court date, I had to pay to file an answer. Christopher's office paid to file some type of a motion and had the judge cancel the court date a day before the hearing and give Wells, Singer, Rubin, & Musulin the okay to pursue and collect from me.
I was fully prepared and expected relief to stand before the judge to tell him the facts, which includes that there is no agreement, verbal or written, about me paying for legal services. I don't know how they got this court date cancelled, but this week they sent me a order to supply them w/my soc. Sec. Number and quite a bit of personal information.
I cannot express the stress, and unmerited pressure this is adding to my health and my family. My search for a lawyer to help me, although strenuous, has turned to be a nightmare. There is no written contract at all, only verbal between Karen DeJong and myself. I don't think its the responsibility of the consumer to check with the senior attorneys to make sure that their staff is following their policy. And how would I, as a consumer, know what their policy is. All that I know is that I and my girls are victims from my husband, and now to further strip me to complete financial and emotional ruin, Christopher Musulin is out to victimize me again. It's not right and it's not fair. I hate to point fingers, but his gripe should be with Karen and not with me.
Someone please help me!
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