My question involves court procedures for the state of: NY
In 2008, a woman sued my mother and her husband for an allegedly poor auto repair job. (The husband isn't a professional mechanic, rather the "I know a guy..." type.) My mother is not a mechanic, did not work on the woman's car, and had no involvement whatsoever with the work done. The husband should have been the only party named. At the time of the suit, my mother tried as best as she could to remove her name from the lawsuit. Unfortunately, she couldn't afford an attorney, yet didn't qualify for legal aid, so she was pro se and the plaintiff's attorney out-maneuvered her efforts. Judgment in the amount of $10,000 was found against my mother and her husband. The husband has never paid and is likely never to.
My mother is now getting divorced from the husband (he brought dozens of secret financial problems into their 8 year marriage) and is nearly frantic to remove her name and erase this chapter in her life, but is on a fixed retirement income.
Can this be done? Can this be done without an attorney? Is there an SOL for this sort of thing and has it run? How complicated (ie, many or few billing hours) is this? All advice appreciated.

