divorce law conflict of interest?

Question

I was denied representation at a firm due to a paralegal that worked there conflict of interest, a paralegal there knowing me and my wife. However, that same paralegal is assisting my wife and her attorney from a different firm, all working pro bono for her.

What can be done with this conflict of interest? If it was a conflict of interest at her employer than shouldn t it be with her current attorney? Who by the way, dies not work in family law, so the paralegal friend is giving all the legal advice. She is using her employers time and resources to bury me in paperwork, lawsuits, TROs etc. while I m having to shell out thousands upon thousands of dollars just to deal with it all. Can I file a lawsuit or grievance against her employer and or current attorney?

Answer 1

Who told you that it was a "conflict of interest"?

- the law firm?



It's not a conflict of interest to work on a divorce case if you work on a case that an employee knows both parties. If that was the scenario, small town lawyers would never be able to get hired. The law firm didn't want to work with you and that's the reason they gave you.



Your wife's friend is providing her free advice. That doesn't mean she working pro bono. Pro Bono is when a law firm takes a case and does not charge for the entire case.



How are you going to prove that the wife's friend is:

- doing work on the case? her name is not on any document.

- that if she is doing work on the case, that's during employment hours or even at her office? all she needs is a computer and some forms that she can download from the internet.

- that her employer has authorized this work? If you can prove she is actually doing work, you can call her employer to make sure they know.



Free advice is usually as good as what your pay for it. The more money you spend on legal fees the less you can spend on a settlement. If you spend all your money, what does she get = nothing.

Answer 2

if the para is not being paid, it is not a conflict of interest

Answer 3

You can certainly report someone to the state licensing agency for practicing law without a license to do so. Do you have tangible evidence?



Her "wasting" her employer's resources is none of your business. That's between her and her employer.



What does any of this have to do with a "conflict of interest"? There is no conflict as you aren't being represented by any of the people who are representing your wife. There is no ethical problem with the firm representing someone that they "know". The ethical problem would arise if they were representing both you and the person you are divorcing.



You want to file a lawsuit against her attorney? For WHAT exactly?



I think you're grasping at straws here. Sorry your divorce is so nasty. I wonder why your wife is so pissed off.

Answer 4

Try a complaint to the State BAR association.

Let her current employment know that she may be "Converting".

Your Attorney should be in on this with the courts too.



It is unlawful in all states for a layperson to give Legal or Medical Advice.

Answer 5

call the American bar association and report her.