Brit in U.S. needs help urgently

Well this must be as off topic as it gets.

I have a friend over in Florida whose husband has decided to leave her and set up home with her twin who lives over the road [:$] (nice!!)

The family are over there running a business which is in his name for visa purposes. The husband won't sell the business and split the proceeds with my friend and he has taken her name off all the business bank accounts and emptied the joint account.[V]

Do any of our American V Flyers know what she should do next or where she could go to get some advice and help.[?]

She has three kids and is living in a rented house which up to now he has paid for and has no income of her own.

I could have pointed her in exactly the right direction and got this sorted if it had been here in the U.K. but I just don't know where she can get help in Florida.

Sorry to burden all you happy people out there but I felt sure someone might just have the advice she needs.[y]

thelaceys

[fozzyo]

I guess the first stop - a lawyers office.

[fozzyo]

I guess the first stop - a lawyers office.

Originally posted by fozzyo
I guess the first stop - a lawyers office.

Thanks Fozzyo, yes I thought so too but I suspect it will be very expensive and since her husband has taken all the money and she has no income, I'm not sure whether or not lawyers over there offer the same free hour that you can get over here.

I was wondering if maybe they had anything akin to the CAB over there perhaps.

My pal doesn't know where to turn, has no real friends, and can't even call on the support of her sister now.

What a mess[:(]

thelaceys

Originally posted by fozzyo
I guess the first stop - a lawyers office.

Thanks Fozzyo, yes I thought so too but I suspect it will be very expensive and since her husband has taken all the money and she has no income, I'm not sure whether or not lawyers over there offer the same free hour that you can get over here.

I was wondering if maybe they had anything akin to the CAB over there perhaps.

My pal doesn't know where to turn, has no real friends, and can't even call on the support of her sister now.

What a mess[:(]

thelaceys

I can't offer advice other than contact a lawyer, quickly, but how did he manage to get her name off of the bank accounts? Her name can't just be removed at his request, which hints at the possiblility of fraud. I would contact the bank to see how it happened and then the police if neccesary.

I can't offer advice other than contact a lawyer, quickly, but how did he manage to get her name off of the bank accounts? Her name can't just be removed at his request, which hints at the possiblility of fraud. I would contact the bank to see how it happened and then the police if neccesary.

Originally posted by baldbrit
I can't offer advice other than contact a lawyer, quickly, but how did he manage to get her name off of the bank accounts? Her name can't just be removed at his request, which hints at the possiblility of fraud. I would contact the bank to see how it happened and then the police if neccesary.

Thanks for your answer.

I was suspicious about the bank accounts, but apparently the business accounts were his to which he had added her name so that she could sign cheques for him, but the business is entirely in his name and my friend says that he just told the bank to take her name off as she was no longer a company member.

As for the joint account, he just went in a withdrew all the money!!

thelaceys

Originally posted by baldbrit
I can't offer advice other than contact a lawyer, quickly, but how did he manage to get her name off of the bank accounts? Her name can't just be removed at his request, which hints at the possiblility of fraud. I would contact the bank to see how it happened and then the police if neccesary.

Thanks for your answer.

I was suspicious about the bank accounts, but apparently the business accounts were his to which he had added her name so that she could sign cheques for him, but the business is entirely in his name and my friend says that he just told the bank to take her name off as she was no longer a company member.

As for the joint account, he just went in a withdrew all the money!!

thelaceys

What a piece of garbage. She needs a lawyer. Most will offer a free initial consultation, so it might be worth calling around and explaing the circumstances just to hear what they have to say.

What a piece of garbage. She needs a lawyer. Most will offer a free initial consultation, so it might be worth calling around and explaing the circumstances just to hear what they have to say.

Originally posted by baldbrit
What a piece of garbage. She needs a lawyer. Most will offer a free initial consultation, so it might be worth calling around and explaing the circumstances just to hear what they have to say.

Thanks for that I will tell her now[y]

thelaceys

Originally posted by baldbrit
What a piece of garbage. She needs a lawyer. Most will offer a free initial consultation, so it might be worth calling around and explaing the circumstances just to hear what they have to say.

Thanks for that I will tell her now[y]

thelaceys

She now has an appointment to speak with a lawyer so hopefully things can now be resolved some how [?]

Thanks for your comments

thelaceys

She now has an appointment to speak with a lawyer so hopefully things can now be resolved some how [?]

Thanks for your comments

thelaceys

Not a lot you can do about the joint account money if its only 1 signature.A mate of my dads took up with the carer who nursed his dieing wife and she went on to empty their joint account of over £100k not a thing could be done as her name was on the joint account and only 1 signature was required to withdraw, cops said she had done nothing wrong.Nice women she ended up with half the house as well[:0]

Not a lot you can do about the joint account money if its only 1 signature.A mate of my dads took up with the carer who nursed his dieing wife and she went on to empty their joint account of over 100k not a thing could be done as her name was on the joint account and only 1 signature was required to withdraw, cops said she had done nothing wrong.Nice women she ended up with half the house as well[:0]

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by thelaceys

Originally posted by fozzyo
I guess the first stop - a lawyers office.

Thanks Fozzyo, yes I thought so too but I suspect it will be very expensive and since her husband has taken all the money and she has no income, I'm not sure whether or not lawyers over there offer the same free hour that you can get over here.


thelaceys

Your both right...yes she needs to see a lawyer, and yes it will be very expensive....for him...my understanding is that under Florida law..husband pays...fair or not hubby HAS to pay her lawyer bill.

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by thelaceys

Originally posted by fozzyo
I guess the first stop - a lawyers office.

Thanks Fozzyo, yes I thought so too but I suspect it will be very expensive and since her husband has taken all the money and she has no income, I'm not sure whether or not lawyers over there offer the same free hour that you can get over here.


thelaceys

Your both right...yes she needs to see a lawyer, and yes it will be very expensive....for him...my understanding is that under Florida law..husband pays...fair or not hubby HAS to pay her lawyer bill.

Your both right...yes she needs to see a lawyer, and yes it will be very expensive....for him...my understanding is that under Florida law..husband pays...fair or not hubby HAS to pay her lawyer bill.
[/quote]

Thank you, that's very interesting, now we know why he was threatening her not to get a lawyer and to do things amicably (ha!).


thelaceys

Your both right...yes she needs to see a lawyer, and yes it will be very expensive....for him...my understanding is that under Florida law..husband pays...fair or not hubby HAS to pay her lawyer bill.
[/quote]

Thank you, that's very interesting, now we know why he was threatening her not to get a lawyer and to do things amicably (ha!).


thelaceys