My husband and I got married in Las Vegas on October 11, 2003. We were just buddies, we knew it wasn’t a good idea, but we did it anyway. We’ve had enough now, and we need a divorce. He loves the conveniences my income provides him, but he’s not in love with me. We purchased nothing since we married (so there’s nothing to split or divide between us). We have no children either. I now know that he has a serious drinking problem (he openly admits it and is seeking outpatient help). Unfortunately, his drinking has interfered with his relationships for as long back as he can remember, and he is not succeeding with any of the programs he’s tried. Frighteningly, when he drinks, he is also very violent. He has been so with me as well, to the point where I’ve embarrassingly had to call the police to quiet him down (twice) upon my return home from the hospital after having suffered a near-fatal heart attack. Since my return from the hospital two weeks ago, he has been drunk on three separate occasions (last night being the most recent). His drinking is highly dangerous to my condition considering the cardiologist told him I was not to be upset in any way. I’ve been taken back to cardiac ICU by ambulance since my release as a direct result of his drinking behavior. His ex-wife and two boys live a few blocks away from us. Now that I have met his ex-wife, I can say clearly that she is a fine person that has done an excellent job single-handedly raising their two boys. I have not told my family (my parents, uncles, colleagues) that I have married this man because I know this will not last. I thought it best to divorce quietly and for us each to get on with our lives. He agrees. He is sad about not being able to succeed with his sobriety and states that he understands that I must move on. Tell me how much this will cost since we’re not arguing against each other and are in agreement. We live on Staten Island.
Unfortunately, you have come to this realization regarding your husband and his problem only after you have been married to him for almost two years, instead of having spent more time before the marriage to get to know each other better. Nevertheless, because of the potential for additional physical abuse and impairment of your health, it is imperative that you now take all the necessary legal steps immediately to separate amicably and get on with your separate lives. If your husband is prepared to cooperate, which from your letter appears that he is, you should have little trouble in preparing and filing the necessary papers and getting your divorce. My fee is $500 per hour, and the total cost will depend on how many hours it takes for us to discuss all of the issues involved( which in your case seems quite limited since there are no children, custody or spousal support matters to be resolved), drafting the Separation Agreement, and the Divorce Papers.