Divorce, Bankruptcy, and a Hidden Pension

Andrea Landers, an attorney in the Gwinnett Legal Aid office, recently represented Tracy Caldwell, a woman whose ex-husband had hidden his valuable pension during their divorce proceedings and in his subsequent bankruptcy. Tracy had proof of her ex-husband’s pension in the form of old paystubs. Armed with this evidence, Andrea teamed up with DeKalb Legal Aid co-managing attorney Don Coleman. Together they filed a Motion to Dismiss the ex-husband’s bankruptcy for fraud.

In addition, Andrea filed a claim which sought to recover Tracy’s share of her ex-husband’s pension. This claim led to an investigation that showed that Mr. Caldwell had taken a nearly $50,000 lump sum payout. He had also failed to pay a penny of child support for the past ten months.

After hearing the evidence, the judge awarded Tracy a lump sum of $15,000 on top of $2,100 in attorney’s fees to Legal Aid. This impressive victory highlights the collaborative approach Legal Aid brings to all its cases. Don Coleman, who has years of bankruptcy experience, was able to lend his expertise to Andrea, who was in turn able to achieve this great outcome.