Makesnosense
New Member
My husband agreed in the Do It Yourself divorce that both parents will share college expenses equally. After going to court he was ordered to pay half of the expenses with no cap put on the expenses or for how long to pay even though he requested an end to the amount/time. After paying both current and back pay amounts in full and the back pay for four years he took his ex-wife back to court, which meant back to Family Court first where the Family Court Commissioner agreed with my husband that in most courts this wouldn't have even been considered a contract due to no defining of the "share college expenses equally including length, $ amount, where he can go to school, etc. She appealed and it went back to the same judge who ordered him to pay in the first place. At this hearing my husband behaved badly and his frustration came out and he presented a VERY POOR defense. He is now ordered to pay until June of 2016. In total he will have paid for 6 1/2 years for college expenses for his son. What I have not put in here because I forgot is the ex-wife makes over twice what my husband makes (he only makes approximately $35,000 per year), he is 53 years old and can't begin to even start saving for retirement because he is paying for college for his son. His ex-wife took their son, yes he agreed to it because he couldn't keep fighting her and their is much bitterness between them even though my husband and his son were close at the time she left with him, and he has only seen his son twice since she left Therefore he not only paid all the child support for his son through age 18 he has also paid for four years for college. Many dads who do not see their sons at all would not even pay child support prior to age 18 much less college for four years. She has stated several times she doesn't want her son to have any college loans and she also stated in a letter to the judge the last time because she appeared on the phone only that she wants to allow her son time to find himself and his niche. He has consequently been in school for four years and only has a Associates Degree. He also dropped out of school for one year to due depression, of which we only have her word for as NO PROOF of this was ever requested or required. My husband has to pay for anything she wants him to as she just sends invoices she makes up for him and there is NO accountability for anything he is paying for. His son has under a 3.0 in college so far. She has said he is taking courses ranging from languages, to going for his teaching degree to, the latest, we think to purely impress the judge, computer classes. Again, we have no PROOF of any of this. Please, please help. We don't have any extra money and we are desparate. My husband is driving a car that is 13 years old and we are almost totally out of money. Do we have any options? 6 1/2 years paying for college is crazy. Please, please help.
