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“Respondent is acting in an unstable manner and exhibiting erratic behavior.”
“Respondent is manipulating the children by telling them Petitioner is abusing them.”
“Respondent is actively engaging in a campaign to alienate the children from Petitioner.”
My stomach churns as I read the false allegations laid out by my ex’s lawyer in a Motion for Psychological Evaluation, and I call my best friend in tears.
“I need to get a new lawyer ASAP. I was afraid something like this would happen now that I’m pro se.”
I was 7 months into a high-conflict custody battle, and my first lawyer withdrew when I couldn’t fork over another $4300 within a week. My ex seems to enjoy our legal drama, so I suspected I didn’t have long before I got hit with court filings.
I was right. His lawyer filed several motions against me the same week my first lawyer withdrew.
I’m able to quickly gather the funds for a new lawyer — the one I should have hired in the first place— and I pay his retainer a few days after I get hit with the psych eval request. Surprisingly, he remembers my case from the brief consultation we had last year, and he’s able to enter in before the hearing.
