Hi, I’m Lori Barkus, a family law attorney. And today, I want to talk to you about some issues related to the current pandemic and closures that we’re experiencing, particularly support, whether it’s child support, maintenance, or alimony, as it’s called in different states. So I have a couple of questions I will address for you today. First, what do you do if you lose your job and can’t pay support? What happens? The second one has to do with health insurance. A lot of times, if you lose your job, you’ve also lost health insurance. So what do you think you could do about that? And the third one is for the people thinking about divorce, who probably thought about it before this happened. And now we’re still thinking about it, especially in the demanding situations that we’re in with everybody being quarantined inside.
And the question that’s come up so much is, do I file? Is this an excellent time to do it, or should I wait? Now, once again, as is the case with all these videos, I’m giving you general information. I can’t give you legal advice because I don’t know you; I don’t know your particular situation. It would be best if you never got legal advice from a video or somebody who’s not an attorney you didn’t sit down with and have an in-depth consultation to get that information. But here’s what I can tell you generally. Let’s look at that first scenario, you’ve lost your job, or you’ve been furloughed, or it’s a substantial pay cut. But either way, you need the funds to pay what you’re supposed to.
Now, the most important thing is don’t do anything. Avoiding the situation, not paying the whole thing, and burying your head in the sand is tempting. That’s the worst thing you can do because that could lead to problems. Support is a severe issue. You don’t want to ignore it. You want to look at your resources and determine what you can do because you also want to pay something other than zero. Zero rarely looks good, except in catastrophic circumstances. And I hope you’re not in that kind of circumstance. This is the time to speak to a lawyer. I know it’s challenging; money is tight, and you need more money to pay your bills. How can I ask you to do that? The problem is there are so many what-ifs. There are so many variables to this situation.
So many legal issues are changing daily as courts decide specific issues and not others. So there are better times to get free advice. There is a better time for a free 15-minute consultation. There is always a better time for that. But that’s a separate discussion. Could you talk to somebody about what you need to do? You may need to file something if you don’t mind. And you can do that independently with a lawyer’s guidance. But again, could you wait to do anything? Please look at your situation and get the advice you need. On health insurance, again, wait to do anything. This is not the time to be uninsured or to have your children uninsured. The possibilities are catastrophic. We don’t even need to talk about that. Could you look into your options? Your employment may continue your benefits. Some employers are. There may also be a COBRA plan, although that may only be feasible if you’re employed.
There’s also health insurance available through different programs. Could you look into that, get the information, and make sure you’re not in that situation? And the last thing is for those of you who are thinking about what do I do? Do I file? Do I wait? Again, there are so many variables to that, that I can’t give you a specific answer. It might be more beneficial for certain people to go ahead with a divorce or separation at this time if the financial picture has changed. That could be advantageous. If you’re on the other side, doing that right now may not be in your best interest. Once again, when it comes to questions like, do I file? When do I file? You must get advice from a competent attorney you meet with, who you consult with, who evaluates the entire situation, and who gives you information.
Now, that’s just a brief overview of these questions. I will do more videos throughout the coming weeks as these questions keep coming in. If you have questions, please get in touch with me. You can do that through the contact form on my website, www.barkuslaw.com. Just to let you know, I won’t answer specific questions through email. I never do that. You can also book an appointment if you like. There’s a link for you to do that on the website. But when it comes to general information, to the extent that I can, I will provide answers to that. Thank you so much for your time. I hope this finds you safe and healthy and that you stay that way.