I represented myself in the divorce case and won

I was in the middle of divorce process. I didn’t have access to any money as I left the house, I got laid off from the job a few months after. The first lawyer only wanted to make the situation more bitter and second one wasn’t serious in doing her job. I didn’t have money to keep wasting on the lawyer as I barely had had left to pay for the apartment and support my son. I decided to represent myself so I fired the lawyer. The lawyer threatened me that I owed her more than 50k and threatened to put a case against me and my ex husband said that I should give-up my son’s custody and the divorce fight and save whatever I have left. I am the kind of person who gets energized when people try to challenge me. I went to the Austin law library and borrowed books on Texas divorce law. I read as many case laws as I could. I prepared a case against my lawyer with all the emails and text messages put together showing all the work she didn’t do and complained to the bar. My ex’s lawyer didn’t respond to my emails as I requested to go for final hearing. They wanted me to sign papers before splitting the assets or provide a date on when assets would transfer. I managed to arrange final hearing and though first time I stammered a bit in front of the judge, she was supportive and asked me to drink some water and relax before talking. Then I shared all the details with the judge, told her the financial struggle I was going through and explained why I wasn’t signing the papers. My ex’s lawyer had asked that I pay penalties for delay and pay my ex’s lawyer’s fee. The judge decided that I don’t have to pay any penalties and gave end of the day for my ex to transfer the assets to me and anything that can’t be done that day needed to happen within a week.

I saved myself all the money I would have had to pay to the lawyer. I showed those against me that I can fight for myself and wont be bullied.