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“I have tried unsuccessfully to get an order of contempt on my ex-wife not complying to our MDA in Tennessee. The reason is her attorney keeps coming up with delay orders and has filed three times to be released from the case for non-Payment. Then the court dates to hear the case before judge are put off and at the last minute with attorney’s chambers meeting with the judge , her attorney withdraws her request to be released further delaying. Secondly, she says she needs a huge amount of time to hear this case and so to get 3 sides (attorneys and judge) to hear case moves it back every time she pulls a delay like the one in my last sentence. Her attorney is creative, she got it put off twice for Research Education. Finally , I got a day in court and My Ex’s attorney heard my witnesses and cross examined them (note, My Ex has no witnesses to her side and I have 8 and Pictures that can verify all I say) Ex’s attorney said she needed at least 5 more days in court to cross examine me?? My ex never returned all the property I was awarded and destroyed about $100,000 dollars’ worth in vandalism; no exaggeration and I have pictures. My questions are , how can I get relief from the court on all this tactical delay because it is costing me an enormous amount? Secondly , I have searched over 250 hours on the internet for cases where the wife didn’t return property ($50,000 worth) and destroyed some before returning it and she was made to pay from Wife’s alimony or retirement. Somewhere there has to got to be a case, I can’t be the first one to have not gotten back their property awarded in MDA and what was returned was destroyed. She got a huge cash settlement plus a huge alimony I agreed to; but a part of the Cash was my full retirement. I would have never agreed to all the Cash or my full Retirement, if I had known I would never get what was awarded me in the MDA and what I did get was seriously damaged. She has totally dissipated all the other cash and so now only shows her retirement account(which was fully mine) and alimony, two hard things to get at in Tennessee. Please NOTE; it was my retirement turned over to my ex-wife because I thought I would get all the property that I was awarded in the MDA. I cannot believe this fact:: but in searching all those hours I cannot find Not ONE case anywhere, much less in Tennessee that deals with the wife’s contempt such as this and how a Husband or spouse is reimbursed thru the retirement or alimony when they have quickly dissipated all other assets!!!! (Her alimony is Transitional for 12 years). Any ideas and or Court cases like mine and I will gladly PAY for the help!”
Here is the bottom line. You *cannot* do this without an attorney. In part because generally judges *hate* it when parties come in without an attorney, and in part because an attorney will know how to best position your case to give you the best chance of some relief. Unfortunately, you clearly have the view that many have – that the family court is about fairness. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough to prevail in a case, especially one like this, where it is very much a “he said – she said” situation.
Go have a consultation with a Tennessee family law attorney – a *good* one – who can tell you whether you have a good chance, and, if so, about how much it would cost you.
