Legal fees
To assist with the cost of hiring an American attorney to defend the case.
Canterbury
I am appealing to this give a little page as my last resort to assist with my legal fees in a matrimonial court case in the USA.
I met my ex in New Zealand when I was working at Mount Cook as head chef in a restaurant in 2019. She was an American citizen on holiday, and we had an immediate romance I really believed she was the one I had been looking for.
She came back a few more times and we continued the relationship online & by phone when she went back.
She was divorced with 2 young children
Fourteen months on we decided to get married in NZ then she planned to immigrate with the children a few months later to NZ.
When her visa was not forthcoming, I traveled to the US. I had used all my own resources setting up a new home for her and the children. I had no idea what to do I felt completely alone and had no idea what to do as I did not have the funds to support myself.
My family and friends sent as much money as they could spare for the next 4 weeks. However in the meantime while I was waiting for the money to be transferred I had no choice but to spend that night on the streets it was terrifying I was robed at knife point for whatever I had left. Thankfully they hadn’t taken my phone.
She is now filing for a divorce in USA despite being married in NZ the case will be heard in Illinois
I have had to hire a US attorney and cannot travel there to attend the hearing because all funds of my own and borrowed have been exhausted just preparing for the case from here.
The court will not accept a zoom meeting, so I am having to pay for a US attorney to present my case.
Because I am not a US citizen, I have to pay in advance for them to represent me a one-hour phone call costs $360 USD
I am now at the stage where I have exhausted all my financial options and have nowhere else to turn.
Judith Mckeown's involvement (page creator)
Craig is solely the beneficiary and I have set this page up for him and used his own words
Use of funds
The money will be spent solely on defending the case if I don't defend, I stand to lose half of my assets if there is surplus the money it will go to other deserving cases on give a little. Some of the court costs may be returned to me depending on the outcome.
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Latest update
Correction to Page 3 May 2021
The following information on the page was incorrect: "The court will not accept a zoom meeting, so I am having to pay for a US attorney to present my case" We have found out that while Craig was indeed able to attend the court hearing via zoom, he is not able to represent himself. He has to have his own representation if he wishes to defend himself because he is not an American Citizen
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