Ceres, CA Divorce Law Firms & Lawyers

If you reside in the US, the divorce would proceed based on the laws of the state where you reside. I cannot tell you whether this will be considered a sufficient divorce for "religious" purposes, but it will be considered a valid divorce for legal purposes.

If you both plan on moving forward with divorce it's important that you determine when the date of separation was. Spousal support is discretionary and is based on many factors. If your marriage is less then 10 years the rule of thumb for duration of support is 1/2 the length of the marriage. You would be wise to consult a family law attorney to best understand your rights and possible liabilities.

Refer to your retainer agreement. Before the RO was obtained, you signed a retainer, in that agreement, there should be a provision of who is responsible to pay your attorney fees (probably you). It's most likely that if he paid if after you had already paid, that you would be entitled to a refund, but since he hasn't paid, it's likely your responsibility to pay and then to obtain the funds from him. Your lawyer entered into an agreement with you, not him, it's up to you to collect that Judgment or have him jailed for contempt of court for not paying.