Hello,
My husband appointed a common lawyer without my knowledge and forced me to file a mutual consent divorce (MCD) application. I had just 2 meetings with this common lawyer where she convinced me and scared me into agreeing for the MCD. I wasn't told about the signing in advance, I woke up one morning and was forced by the husband into going to court and sign. I signed under duress though I don't have too much proof to show I was forced.
After a month or two I found out my husband is having an affair and his GF is dictating all terms to him to throw me out of the house for a pittance. The settlement he's offered in the consent terms is not enough for me to live a dignified life with my child. I'm uneducated (but well spoken) and can't get a decent job to support myself as my in laws did not allow me to study beyond the 10th. I also have no family at all to support me.
A month or so after signing the application and filing the consent terms I found documentary proof of his GFs involvement and also scandalous pictures of them both. Moreover I found documentary proof that this common lawyer was actually just working on his instructions and was fooling me by giving wrong advice and leading me on. I also found evidence that husband and GF conniving to cheat me out of a decent settlement, the husband, common lawyer and GF conniving to take my son away, etc.
When I found out all this I couldn't take it any longer, I borrowed money from a few friends and engaged a lawyer for myself who wrote to the husband's lawyer (our initial so called common lawyer) for a joint meeting to discuss the divorce case. As soon as my husband found out about it he was back to his aggressive nature and was very upset. Nevertheless I stood my ground and we had a joint meeting with our lawyers. We put down our concerns about the consent terms.
Ever since that meeting his lawyer is insisting we give our concerns about the consent terms in writing, I think she's trying to show that I am simply after more money. My husband and her don't know I have all this documentary evidence about their misdeeds. In the latest letter the husband is demanding I leave the house immediately and stay on rent until this divorce is settled. I don't want a divorce as I can't survive alone on the pittance he is offering but staying at home means I'm facing daily mental harassment and verbal abuse from him and his father. I have found out recently that husband is transferring all his assets (on advice of his GF) and flat ownership to someone else's name just to throw me out of the house and cheat me out of a decent settlement.
Husband's lawyer is claiming that once I have agreed to the MCD I can't back out now (when she told me the exact opposite while she was pretending to be my lawyer). I don't want a divorce, I want to stay for my child's sake and if my husband is hell bent on divorce I want a decent settlement to be able to take care of my child and give him a decent lifestyle which he is accustomed to.
My lawyer is telling me not to worry, there is no way a court will grant divorce unless I go in front of the judge and sign but I'm confused as I have read judgements on the web where court has granted unilateral divorce. Husband is trying to portray that I'm greedy.
In light of this can someone advice? Should I withdraw my consent now or wait until the 6 month court date to go and refuse?
Can our common lawyer's misguidance and conniving against me be taken seriously by court and can I use that to refuse divorce? I have some proof to show this.
Can my Husband's affair and his conniving with his GF be taken into consideration before the court on the date? Can that be grounds for cancellation of the MCD? I have proof of this.
Can I stop him from transferring his assets just to cheat me and throw me out?
I don't know what to do, I'm facing a lot of pressure from my husband and verbal and mental harassment. I'm scared to approach the police as it may become a very big matter and I don't want my son to see all this.
I have full faith in my lawyer but being a woman without any support I just want to be reassured with as many seasoned opinions as possible.