Beyond Legal Aid has the privilege of working with a variety of community members and this month, we would like to share Francine’s story. Francine is originally from Cameroon, where she married her husband in 2007. The next year, they welcomed a son, Peter. The following year, Francine’s husband moved to the United States. He promised he would secure green cards for his family so that they could join him, only, he didn’t keep his promise. From 2009-2016, Francine’s husband sent money back home to help care for their son, but in 2016, he sent a letter stating that he will no longer send money and that he’s with a new woman. Feeling abandoned, Francine decided to take her family’s future into her own hands and move to the U.S. Finances quickly became an issue for Francine and Peter, suddenly being thrust into a single-income household. Francine worked in housekeeping but, as her ex-husband was the clear breadwinner of the family, she was unable to make ends meet. That’s when she realized she needed help.
Francine found other legal aid options at first, but none of them were the right fit. A friend of hers referred her to Beyond and she decided to call the helpline. Francine’s goals working with Beyond were to “obtain a divorce, primary allocation of parental responsibilities, and child support, and to learn about the legal process to help me advocate for myself in the future”. After months in court, in July, she finally obtained her divorce, and the judge ordered her husband to pay full child support for their son and maintenance for her, including retroactive payments. Finally, Francine earned a reset button, and she felt a sense of relief. She could look at the future with confidence, rather than fear.
When asked to reflect on her experience, Francine said, “Beyond was the first to actually understand me” and that they were always “available for support and helpful”. She appreciated the way that they provided her with updates about her case and took the time to make sure she was informed and comfortable in the process. She said, “child support changed my outlook on life and made me a more hopeful person.” Please consider supporting Beyond to continue giving the gift of hope this holiday season with a donation here.