My ex cheated on me and took me for a lot of money through lies and false promises. He has moved on with his life, while I have suffered many consequences including the loss of my home.

I am aware of (and have information regarding) him cheating on his taxes and stealing several thousand dollars from his employer.

Will a lawyer help me FIGURE OUT how to report/pursue charges against him, or will they just tell me I'm being "spiteful" and should "move on"? If I pay them an hourly rate, will they HAVE to help me?

Thank you in advance for any help.

No lawyer HAS to help you... they can decide if they want the case or not.

However if he stole anything from an employer... you don't have standing to do anything... the employer would. YOU also can't sue him for cheating on his taxes... you don't have standing there either... thats between the IRS and him.

I'm being honest here... if you were in these sorts of dire straights financially... it really does look spiteful to attempt to spend money on things that in no way can gain you a dime. Lawyers fees are rather significant by the hour.

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Originally Posted by smoothy

No lawyer HAS to help you... they can decide if they want the case or not.

However if he stole anything from an employer... you don't have standing to do anything... the employer would. YOU also can't sue him for cheating on his taxes... you don't have standing there either... thats between the IRS and him.

I'm being honest here... if you were in these sorts of dire straights financially... it really does look spiteful to attempt to spend money on things that in no way can gain you a dime. Lawyers fees are rather significant by the hour.

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But if I wasn't "upset" and just had "knowledge", would your advice be different? Isn't it always right to report people you know are breaking the law, whether it was committed directly against you?

This is not a case you could win any monetary damages from and a lawyer doesn't have to take a case if he/she chooses not to, no matter how much money you pay them.

To be brutally honest, you are being spiteful and it's time to move on. Bad things happen in divorces and people are left feeling bitter, as you are. Move on and get a happy life, stop being so malignant.

As was pointed out... its extremely unlikely any court would accept this case on the issue of standing... and thus it would be a waste of the lawyers time and your money.

If you make claims... and they can't be proven.. you open yourself up to slander, and libel. As J_9 recommends... its best to put this behind you and move on... you CAN make things a lot worse for yourself fairly easily.

You may hire an attorney who will help you write a letter to his boss, about this theft.
But a word of warning, if you do not have actual evidence, ( if you just "know" it) do not say anything, if you have paper work proving it, great. Because if you send letters to their boss, or company, and anything happens, this person can sue you for money damages. You will have to prove what you said was true, with evidence that is admissible in court.

And I doubt the IRS will pay much attention, although if it is within time frame, they may look to audit his taxes.

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it would be a waste of the lawyers time and your money.

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Working in law in my past life I can tell you that just because you have a fat wallet doesn't mean a lawyer is going to take a case. Many charge upwards of $200 an hour. This doesn't mean that he has to work a complete hour. If he works 10 minutes, then he charges you for the entire hour or a portion thereof.

When you sue someone, you usually sue for monetary damages that you collect. This is not a case where you will collect anything.

The best thing for you to do would be to get some counseling so that you can get over being so vengeful towards your ex, rather than trying to ruin his life over something you may not have physical proof of.

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Isn't it always right to report people you know are breaking the law, whether it was committed directly against you?

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Do you call the police every time you see someone speeding on the highway? Do you get their license plate number and report them? They are breaking the law, so shouldn't you report them?

First, If you have information on someone cheating on his taxes, there is a procedure for reporting it:
How Do You Report Suspected Tax Fraud Activity?

You don't need an attorney to do this.

As for reporting his thefts from his employer, that you may want to get the advice of an attorney on. It is unlikely an attorney will help you do this, but you need to understand your liability and potential for being sued if you do. Unless you have incontrovertible proof, you may be opening yourself to lawsuits for defamation and harassment.

What you REALLY should consult with an attorney on is whether there is anything you can do about his actions as part of the divorce that cost you money and resulted in the loss of your home.

To add... If you don't have actual physical proof, your ex could come back and counter-sue you for liable and/or slander. This is a case he actually could win.