1. People & Relationships

Family Court Judge Delays Decision

Share Your Story: Were You Treated Unfairly by the Family Court System?

From TMerkel

Did your attorney make mistakes during your divorce?

Maybe, but in retrospect just a strategic error in one area of my case. My complaint is more with the judge at this point.

Were you the victim of an unethical judge?

The short story with all the details out is that our full divorce trial was finished in January 2010. Both attorney's had rested, and final statements had been submitted in writing as the judge ordered by Mid Apr 2010. The judge has now delayed making her decision on our final asset split resolution three times.

She has set new dates three times and missed them with no explanation but a new date, which is now 9/16/2010. If she misses this date, do I have any recourse to demand a decision? She has my assets frozen and I am struggling on unemployment to avoid bankruptcy.

What needs to change in the Family Court System?

A judge should have to meet the dates she sets just like my spouse, me and both our attorneys had to make our dates in submitting information to the court. If she doesn't it should be public information.

Lessons Learned

  • Never marry again without an iron-clad prenuptial agreement.

Cathy Meyer, Divorce Support Guide, says:

Every state has a Commission on Judicial Conduct. I suggest you ask your attorney the name of the committee in your state that over-sees family court judges. Contact them and find out what the guidelines are for a judge handing down an order. If you feel the judge is not behaving in an ethical manner file a complaint against her. Beware though that doing so isn't going to make her a happy camper.

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