There are winners and there are losers (of course there are, whom I am kidding) in the divorce process. And lets face it, if you make more money than your ex-partner, ex-spouse or whatever name you have dreamed up – you lose. Well someone has to tell you. It doesn’t matter if the last 5 years of your marriage was a living hell. What you have to do is get a really good therapist for the next 2 years and you might get past it. It doesn’t matter that you were verbally or physically abused. She is 115lbs and you are over 200lbs, who are they going to believe and if you really want to go the distance with this one, you have to go to court. You have to stand in front of strangers, the lawyers and the judge and pour it all out. Can’t do it? Too humiliating? Too bad – you lose.____
The indignities don’t stop with the loss in court. This is just the beginning. She has the full weight and measure of the judicial system behind her (or him). Whatever small scrap of dignity, self-respect or esteem you have left after the court is through with you is going to be stomped on. Suck it up little man (or woman) – there are those in life who pay (you) and those who get paid.
The final card – once played by her is the most brutal of all – maintenance enforcement – stressing the enforcement part. Maintenance Enforcement - with broad judicial powers swoops down from above. They wield the righteous sword of justice. They can and will take 60% of your income before you even see it. They garnish your wages but its not so blatant anymore – you can volunteer but even that won’t matter, they can do it anyways. They can and do suspend your drivers license, take any income tax refunds, lottery winnings (that $10 dollars you won at Bingo is forfeit); they seize money before you ever see it and they cancel your passport.
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You see, my friend, it matters not if your personal circumstances have changed. Lets say after all of this has happened to you, you fell into a deep depression and couldn’t handle your current job anymore. You go out and find another job, less taxing and with less pay. This is all very suspicious. To change your court ordered and mandated payments will cost you another $3000 but of course if all your money is paying the current order, my friend, you are screwed.
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You may live in Canada. You may walk around like other people. You might even vote, pay your taxes and drink occasionally but you are a prisoner. The bars are there, for the government and the legal system will follow you, catch you, and wring every last dime from you. The call will come to you one day. It will be a pleasant voice, “Mr. Smith, we are calling to tell you we have suspended your drivers’ license.” But, but, but you think – how will I get to work. Then you find your bank account frozen. Then your landlord or bank calls, ” So sorry, your cheque bounced, you need to vacate your current premise.” Then your car payment, insurance, phone and everything else goes to hell. You are on the street. Such is the righteous sword of justice. Don’t cry about it little man – pay up. Of course there are options – fight it in court – oops, all your money is gone or frozen. Okay, leave the country, become Mexican. Ahh, they thought of that too, your passport is canceled. They have put you in a tiny little prison. You walk around every day, you look like everyone else except you are a prisoner. There is no little hole you can crawl into, because they will find you. You can, of course, jump off a bridge. Hard to get money from a corpse. Ah, there now you understand, you read about this in the papers all the time. The ex so-and-so commits suicide. It’s hard for them to collect money if you are dead.
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More to follow….
