I am a relatively newly single mom to 4 kids, and I am struggling to get on my feet. I recently left an abusive marriage of 24 years. Between all of my lawyer’s fees for myself and my kids (they had a Guardian ad Litem due to abuse), I have already paid almost $30,000. My divorce was final in October; however, my ex continues to harass us and abuse my kids, so we have ongoing litigation. Currently, I owe my attorney almost $6000 from the past, and that will probably reach $10,000 easily by the end of the spring.
My oldest child is 22 but he is severely disabled, so he will live with me forever (or as long as I can take care of him). He requires care to the level that a baby does. He cannot feed himself, bathe himself, dress himself, etc. My other three kids are 12, 9, and 8. Due to the abuse, I have all 3 younger kids in therapy weekly, which can be costly.
My ex-husband took the car against court orders, and, because of the oldest needing medical care several times a week, I had to buy a reliable car to get us back and forth. I owe a little over $18,000 for my car currently. I was, fortunately, able to refinance the house to just my name, but the costs have left my savings with $0.
I was a stay-at-home mom for the past 22 years with my disabled son, and now I am struggling to find a job that is flexible enough that if my oldest needs to be taken to a medical appointment last minute I can do so. Additionally, he cannot be left alone, and care for an adult is much more expensive than for “normal” kids, which is making things even more difficult.
I have been able to get my credit card debt down to $8,000 from over $13,000, but now I am struggling to pay the bills. Most of this is food and necessities from when we left our abusive situation. I am now set up with assistance for food, but that took several months, and I had to use credit cards to make ends meet.
I know this is a big ask, but I am asking for $30,000 so I can be almost completely caught up on all of my bills that I currently have. It would be amazing to be able to get a fresh start with my kids. We are all facing this newness with hope and are eager to get a fresh start. My kids and I are alone with a very small support system, as my ex drove most people away, as abusers tend to do. While this would not cover every cent, it would be a huge help, especially with knowing that my legal fees will only continue to go up.
Anything you can do to help us would be greatly appreciated. I have included a photo of the bills as best as I could, trying to show everything I owe. Anything I receive will go directly towards my bills. Please help my children and me start fresh so we can leave the abuse in the past and look forward to a brighter future.
Paypal: paypal.me/jamiemarieshaw
