How do I get help to live in America and be an American citizen?

How can American born citizen get help with Swedish divorce?

• I have a friend who was born in Columbus Ohio and about 12 years ago she moved to Sweden and married... Her husband has cheated on her and gotten another girl pregnant.. He moved out and in with his current girlfriend and my friend changed the locks on her house... When her soon to be ex came to her house there was an altercation and her ex claims that he was injured and filed charges for domestic abuse but he didn't go to the hospital.. My friend and her ex had a karaoke business together and she now has no income, cannot receive any help from social services because they say they need a letter from him proving that she worked for him, and she is on the verge of going to jail for a domestic because her ex has friends in the police dept who have lied for him. The police even had her locked up after she walked from a bus stop for drunken disorderly even though she was NOT drunk and was NOT disorderly!! She has no income, can't get help, and is on the verge of getting all her utilities shut off. Is there anyone or place she can call for help? The American Embassy? I would like to help her get back home here to America which is her ultimate goal.. All of her family and friends are here and she is alone, with no where or one to turn to... If ANYONE has any suggestions I could pass along to her PLEASE SHARE!! This man is ruining her life and trying to get back the house even though HE abandoned the marriage and he is ALSO trying to make her life miserable...

• Answer:

  The single place she can to for help is the US consulate. Depending on her needs, they'll give her a list of attorneys or they can contact her friends/family and get her a plane ticket home. She's got some legal complications that she probably should sort out before just leaving. She's got a legal marriage that she has to resolve. Separation? Divorce? Annulment? Too many variables to say which is best for her. In America, getting his girlfriend pregnant is a non-starter in family court. Could be, this is the same in Sweden. Or it could be different. Do you or she have proof that will stand up in Swedish court that his police friends have lied for him? If not, all you get is sympathy here, since that factor won't count for anything without evidenciary support. Even though *you* would like to get her home to America, she's currently at home in Sweden. What you want may not be what she wants. And from your distance, what you see as "best" for her might be what she sees as "best" for herself. If she has a probation officer, she's already been convicted of something. Spousal abuse? Can't tell from your question. A public defender seems like she has another charge pending. I'd ease up a bit with the public defender, since Swedes pay high taxes to get public help with various parts of their lives. She should talk to the consular officer in the ACS- Americans Citizens Services. If she gets sentenced to jail, the ACS might help with getting her deported instead of jailed. They won't try to influence the legal system, but they will monitor the process to make sure it goes properly. And if she finds herself in a Swedish prison, ACS will visit her with a few goodies like magazines, vitamins, etc. Since she's facing some difficult legal times, she really should talk to ACS while she can. They'll have a database of attorneys who might be able to help her. And if so, that's where *you* come in. A good attorney will cost her money which she doesn't have. But you might be able to help her financially. Should she go back to America? Don't know, can't say. However, having someone who cares (you) can't hurt her. And if she needs money for an attorney, you could be her lifeline. ... Take care!