“Fiona” and her husband married in 2000, and they had five children during their marriage. In 2021, after inflicting consistent abuse on Fiona and the children over the duration of the marriage, Fiona’s husband took their only car and moved to New York, abandoning the family. He filed for divorce the following year.
Overwhelmed by the court process, Fiona called GBLS, and a family law attorney agreed to represent her in her divorce, custody, and child support cases. After GBLS concluded two and a half years of significant discovery and a trial, the court granted Fiona sole legal and physical custody of the minor children, preserved over $25,000 in child support arrears owed by the husband, increased the husband’s weekly child support obligation, and allocated 90% of the parties’ marital debt to the husband. Fiona was allowed to retain all of the assets in her name, including her retirement accounts. The court also granted Fiona the right to claim all the children as dependents and for any child tax credits on all her future tax returns.
Now Fiona is starting nursing school, and her daughter was accepted to Brown University on a full scholarship. The court’s decision will afford Fiona the peace of mind to move forward with her life while focusing on her own growth and the well-being of her children.