What to ask at first solicitors meeting

[nozzernoodles]

I am meeting with a solicitor on Monday morning to start the process of divorcing my husband. It is going to be a really complicated process and I don't have much spare cash for solicitors, although I will need one. So I want to make the most of my first free 30 minutes and thought hopefully some if you might have done suggestions and experience in this.

A bit of background to help ...

• Husband and I have been separated for about 6-8 years, but nothing has ever been formalised.
• We have a son together who is 10.
• Husband lives and works abroad and only comes back very rarely (this year a stay of 10 days in feb and 4 in May)
• No assets and rented property in my name, but husband has £20k in debt in his name

My main concerns are around the debt and if I will get saddled with half, but more importantly access to our son. Our son has mental health issues around anxiety and OCD, he also has severe food allergies. Husband has never taken these seriously. He wants to be able to take DS back to the country he lives in (not a great place - close to Ebola affected areas and not really politically stable) and have him for holidays. I absolutely think this is dangerous for DS and he says he doesn't want to go without me. Husband has no where to stay over here and has until now always stayed with us, but this can't happen anymore. He says DS could travel over there with him and then he will send him back on a flight on his own!!!! The flight is 16 hours long with a change in Morocco!!!!

Does anyone know whether this could be awarded to husband as contact. I am so worried about this and it's Partly the reason why I have waited so long to divorce him.

Sorry that is so long! Thank you if you made it to the end! Any advice gratefully recieved.

I think your first point should be getting you solicitor to assess whether you qualify for legal aid, and you may need to look around for a solicitor who will do this. If you have custody questions in proceedings a cafcass guardian may be appointed, and i can't see a guardian agreeing to any 10 year old taking a long flight without a parent, particularly to see a non resident parent who seems to be making contact arrangements around what suits them rather than your ds!

Thanks for your response. I am really hoping you are right, but I am so worried they will say he can have him for holidays over there. I am hoping if cafcass get involved they will take DS's wishes into account and DS won't get stressed and say he doesn't mind. He gets stressed so easily and worries about upsetting everyone, so I hope he won't say he'll go just to please his dad.

I'm not sure I will be able to get legal aid as I think I probably earn too much (but not enough to afford solicitors fees). I'm in that awkward (average UK) wage bracket.