How To Get Temporary Spousal Support During Your Divorce 

I would encourage every woman who reads this to file the necessary paperwork for temporary orders or support as soon as you realize the marriage is over.  I waited too long, thinking (and hoping) that my husband would come to his senses - and come back to me.  Now he has totally disappeared....and despite all of my efforts I haven't been able to locate him and I don't have the financial means to hire a private detective.  I can still file the request for support with the court, but I've been informed that they will make little - if any - effort to track this deadbeat down....meaning I'm on my own.  I've had to apply for state assistance and am now a statistic - a welfare recipient.  This is just one more blow to my already fragile self-esteem....and I don't believe I'll ever be able to forgive my husband for abandoning me and walking away from our marriage without a care in the world.

So please hear me ladies when I talk about how important it is to strike while the iron is hot - or risk being left with nothing but bad memories and a pile of bills to deal with later.  We all deserve better than this.....and in my mind, what I - and many others from this forum have been put through constitutes abuse - financial and emotional abuse....so that's how I'm filing my request with the court.  Perhaps the addition of a 'criminally negligent' tag in the court record will carry a bit of weight somewhere down the road.  I figure it couldn't hurt.

I'm in the same boat, can't afford the retainer fees for a lawyer and and I can't afford first and last for an apartment either. Guess I'm stuck.

How temporary are these awards? weeks? months? years?

My husband had me served a divorce petition before Xmas 2007.  I have been trying to get my attorney to get temporary spousal support awarded to me.  We are under temporary order & still living in the same house.  Needless to say, it is really affecting my mental health.  On the other hand, I can't afford to move out on my own.  I am feeling so discouraged!  I went apartment shopping today and everything is sooo expensive.  I only work part time so it is very difficult for me right now.