Call for Funding

The White-Collar Wives Project has been in existence for ten years, providing guidance and support for innocent spouses and adult children of white-collar criminals as they navigate the emotional, legal, and economic morass of a head of household’s occupational crime. The public is quick to stigmatize spouse’s with guilt by association, but this is a serious miscalculation. Families are the first victims of these crimes and not only suffer an enormous and egregious familial betrayal, but are also treated as chattel by jurisdictions across the country via civil asset seizure and forfeiture of an innocent spouse’s portion of the untainted marital estate. The white-collar innocent spouse also becomes ensnared in the IRS and state DOR demand for unpaid taxes on unreported funds which were also not reported to her. Guiding innocent spouses through the legal, financial, and emotional morass of their husband’s white-collar investigation/prosecution is a full-time job that I have funded out of my own pocket for over a decade.

Perps spend between $50,000 - $350,000 for their own defense, and in many cases, spend thousands more for their own prison consultants, with the end result usually being conviction, restitution, and imprisonment. White-collar criminal cases (as well as civil cases) can take years to wind through the legal system, but the innocent spouse has a very small window of time to protect her fair share of untainted marital assets. Unfortunately, the majority of wives don’t realize the financial and legal exposures they face until it is too late to act. Also, by the time a perp hires an attorney (and prison consultant), there is no funding left for the innocent spouse to seek expertise for her and her children’s protection. This is the reason why my consultation fee is minimal.

Many ask why I don’t simply gain funding by forming a non-profit entity. That would mean recruiting a board, hiring staff, steering a fundraising machine, and then overseeing the operation. I have worked in the non-profit arena and it requires hands on attention at every turn. My time must remain focused on the needs of the women and children who reach out to me for guidance on how to navigate this life changing event.

My request for donations is to fund the following:

In Defense of the Innocent Spouse: A New Area of the Law

This book has been in development for three years. The case law research alone is exhaustive, as is placing content into a format that can be presented on a teachable scale for law schools and practicing attorneys. In Defense of the Innocent Spouse is a reference book for attorneys that provides proprietary legal information on how to defend a white-collar innocent spouse as they have a unique need for representation in several areas of the law. A perp only requires a white-collar criminal defense attorney, but through no fault of her own, the innocent spouse requires representation in several areas of the law including due process/legal standing, (constitutional law), tax law, property law, civil asset seizure, divorce, bankruptcy, and more. This book has taken far longer than anticipated to complete as the research is extensive. It’s time for a new area of the law to be created to defend innocent spouses as the epidemic of greed and familial destruction is reaching an all time high. (My first book The White-Collar Wives Survival Guide, continues to be the go-to manual for those just starting down the dreadful road of massive displacement, emotional, physical, and legal and financial upheaval, and has garnered praise from those who have needed it.)

Webinar Development

Two years ago the WCWP created a six module series titled A New Perspective on Deterrence and these accredited webinars were met with rave reviews. Each webinar is presented as an hour long presentation. The goal this year is to transform all six modules into one training course that is easily accessible as an e-learning platform. But it takes funds that we simply don’t have. The WCWP’s novel approach of anti-fraud programming is a game changer.

Any amount is helpful and greatly appreciated! Form information on how to donate, please contact Lisa Lawler at lawlerlisa1@gmail.com

(Funds are not deductible, they are indeed, much appreciated)