After getting off the phone with Trenton, Marsha wondered if he had been truthful about having to go quickly because he wasn’t supposed to be using that phone. Perhaps, it was he realized I’d caught him in a lie, and he didn’t have a ready explanation on the tip of his tongue. Why am I going there? I used to be trusting and now I feel I have to doubt everything he tells me. I wonder if I could even trust a lawyer. I’ve heard they all tend to stick together if one of them is being sued.

The idea of talking to a lawyer kept resurfacing. She didn’t know any lawyers other than the ones in Trenton’s firm, and it didn’t seem smart to use one close to Trenton. Once again, she thought of Carmen Diaz. They had been close friends at one time, but she hadn’t spoken to her recently. Carmen had gone through a really nasty divorce, but she’d found a lawyer who had handled it with skill. Carmen had come out of it with an excellent settlement. Marsha had been toying with the idea of calling Carmen when the firm let her know about the intervention. As a result, the call had never happened.

With a sudden burst of determination, she dialed her friend. They chatted a while catching up since they’d last spoken, before she mentioned casually that she was looking for a lawyer for advice. “Do you think the lawyer you used when you got your divorce would be someone willing to talk to me?”

“Peter Styles, yes. of course he would. He is an angel when it comes to his clients. but he’s a barracuda when dealing with the opposing counsel.  Why?  Is Trenton giving you problems?”

“There have been some things bothering me lately. I need to know my options in case it should come to a possible separation.”

“Let me give you his number, or do you want me to call him and tell him I’m referring you.”

“No, I’ll call. If he can’t do it, maybe he can tell me someone who can.”

With the number in hand, Marsha put through the call before she lost her nerve. Styles was in private practice. His office put her down for a consultation the following day.

A day later, in the office of Attorney Peter Styles, Marsha sat nervously fidgeting with the clasp on her purse and wishing she was anywhere but here. The lawyer didn’t keep her waiting long. He was a tall man who appeared to be in his late forties. He smiled pleasantly but maintained a professional persona. They shook hands, and once she was seated, he suggested she tell him more about her situation.

“Well sir, I’d like to find out what is involved with a legal separation, if I should decide I need to go that route. My husband is partner in the Cunningham Law Firm. He is in corporate law. His name is Trenton Carlson. You wouldn’t happen to know him, would you? “

“Not personally. I’m familiar with the name. It seems I might have met him at a convention. I am acquainted with one of the businesses, he represented last year. I think he has a good reputation.”

“He and I have been married a little over twenty years. We have four children. Our youngest daughter is 14. I assumed we had a good marriage until recently. Lately, I’ve had reason to suspect he may be seeing another woman. He hasn’t been honest with me, and I tend to think it might have been going on for a while. He often gets home as late as four in the morning. However, at the moment, he is in a rehab center for alcoholics at the request of the firm. He’s not willing to acknowledge that he has a drinking problem. I am thinking any help he might get will only be temporary.”

“Is he abusive when he is drinking, either with you or with the children?”

“No, he’s never been abusive. I’m sure he loves the children, but he leaves most of the discipline and care up to me. He is away from home so much the children don’t have a close relationship with him.”

“Do you have actual proof of his infidelity, or do you just suspect it?”

“What I know about, seems like proof to me, but he tries to make me believe there are logical explanations for everything I question. I haven’t mentioned to him I’m thinking of a trial separation, and I’m sure he will be blindsided. I don’t get the impression that he has fallen in love and wants to leave me to remarry, but I could be wrong. I think we need some time away from each other and maybe we could talk to a marriage counselor. However, I’m not working. I need to know if the kids and I would be taken care of if Trenton and I are apart.

“From what you are telling me, with four children and a twenty-year marriage, you will certainly have some rights. If he is being unfaithful, it would be good if you had concrete proof like photographs or witnesses. You might need that should you decide at some point you want a divorce. With a legal separation you will have asset division, spousal support, and custody rights. Likely, you will be able to continue to live in your house while he maintains a separate apartment. This would allow you to see if you can work things out.

“What are some of the things I should be aware of in terms of my rights during the legal separation process?”

First and foremost, I would advise against taking any legal advice from your spouse, as he may have interests that conflict with yours. It’s important that you have your own independent legal counsel to help navigate the separation and divorce if it comes to that. If you decide you want a legal separation, I will be happy to work with you.  You think about it, and let me know if you’d like me as your lawyer. We can discuss financial terms then. Since he is the wage earner, it is likely he would be the one responsible for taking care of your legal fees.

With that information, Marsha felt more secure and capable of handling what might lie ahead. She would be prepared when she would speak to Trenton again. Hopefully, she could get a few more answers before she would suggest the legal separation.