bosacafe75@aol

Hi,
I am looking for someone to steer me into the right direction. I have a very "wierd" and confusing case. I am trying to get together a very compelling argument for an Arab American female whom is older than her husband by eight years. Her husband still resides in the Mid east but INS is intending to revoke her husbands petition on grounds that in Arab customs a woman marrying a younger male is "unusual and highly unlikely". She was married before her present husband to someone also from the Mid east but her ex husband divorced her islamically without notifying her; apparently in Islamic courts a man may divorce his absent wife by bringing in 2 eyewitnesses and by publishing the divorce in a newspaper that is circulated for one day, this divorce is done in a matter of 1-2 hours. She still inquired about the case even after the divorce (again she didnt know about the divorce at the time of inquiry, her ex had led her to believe they were still married)but as soon as she found out about the divorce months later she never inquired again and let the case go. I have proof that even before the divorce that she hasnt been out of the country up until the moment she left to marry her current husband, this proof is needed because in a written letter the American embassy states she did an OFFICIAL interview for her first husbands case at their local embassy a few months after the divorce. the wierd thing is that she never left States and her passport proves this-(she had the same passport way before she was divorced).
Her interview with her second husband raised questions because she couldnt recall the exact number of guests that came to the wedding and ages of his eight younger siblings and their exact names, but they answered correctly on the more intimate and sexual natured questions regarding their relationship. she visits him occasionally overseas.
Now INS is asking for her to prove she entered this current marriage in good faith. She has thousands of dollars worth of phone bills to prove she still talks to her current husband on a daily basis, bank account transactions (he has in his possession her own debit cards) to prove she SUPPORTS HIM monetary wise, rental leases while she stayed in the Mid east months at a time living together , affidavits from both families and freinds under oath testifying they are married in good faith, trips leaving the States to see him, and pictures of experiences together. I even managed to get a letter from a Muslim cleric that shows the legal steps a Muslim man may divorce his absent wife and this will prove she may have actually not known that she was divorced from her first husband. But I would also like landmark cases to strengthen my argument to INS. Any suggestions other than landmark cases please throw them my way. I need it ASAP!
Thank you
Sarah K.

ian-mstm

Wow - I'm having a real deja vu moment here... as though I read this exact same post a week or so ago! Did you receive no responses then? Perhaps there are no suggestions. <shrug>

Ian

DCMark

What is your relationship to this case? Are you the attorney?

spouse

I don't have a lot of help to offer, but there is an online service that lawyers use to find precedents, etc - westlaw.

I believe the website is westlaw.com. Normally, you have to pay to use it, but you may be able to obtain a 1 week free (limited) trial.

Many university libraries also have a full versions. Sometimes these versions are only for students, but they might be willing to make an exception.

This is probably your best bet for seeking case precedents...