My parents got divorced 17 years ago, now mom is taking dad to court for unfinished business. It was agreed on back then that my dad owes my mom half the house and its contents, but there was no when added to it.

My mom got a lawyer and it seems something new was drafted bc now there’s a clause that she wants to be the beneficiary to his 401k, and there’s probably more clauses but this is the main one I got from my dads emotional rant.

There’s been so much time in between the divorce, all of the kids are grown now, with the youngest being 25. I feel disgusted and disappointed in my mom for going after more than what she actually contributed to. Trying to take the house is predictable for scorned woman but going after other aspects of his money like his retirement was overkill. It makes my blood boil thinking of how evil she is to send this court order right before the holidays. Like literally right before Thanksgiving. This makes is strained and like we have to choose who we see on the holidays.

Yes, I know my dad probably should have refinanced the house and bought out her half when the divorce was fresh 17 years ago… bc getting hit with all this when he’s trying to get things in order before retiring is a huge setback. It changes everything for him. But has anyone fought a similar battle??? Maybe we can argue that all of her kids are grown and working so what is she seeking all of this for at this point? She’s just trying to use his money to save herself from IRS tax evasion debt and credit card debt. And maybe if he has to give up retirement, it can only be some from when they were actually married. Not the rest accrued during his 17 years divorced. And maybe he can ask that the house be sold in 2 years when he makes it to 65 and officially retires and moves back to the home land?

Does it make any difference that this is being pursed 17 years later? Will the sentencing and split be less harsh since she’s not raising minors anymore? Does he absolutely need a lawyer if Louisiana favors women anyways? Please share experience and advice. English is not my dad’s first language so there’s a major language barrier and he’s having a hard time stomaching paying for a lawyer and paying mom piles of money, and a hard time imagining what’s at stake. He just repeats that she didn’t work hard for the money and she didn’t even contribute to paying for the mortgage at all.

How do you know your lawyer is a good fit for you and will actually advocate? What’s the average expenses on a lawyer and what is the process like?