I am the lock monster! Wooot!

ERC,

I was going to say I would email it to you, but I realized that those details are only in the final copies, which I do not have on computer.

The language is something like this:

"The father will have visitation with the minor children on alternate weekends, from 6:00 pm Friday until 6:00 pm Sunday. In addition, the father will have visitation Wednesday from 5:30pm until 8:00pm during the school year and from 5:30 pm until 9:00 pm during the summer break."

With joint custody, the word "visitation" doesn't come up. Each parent is "responsible for" the children for alternating weeks, or certain days and hours.

REMEMBER that you don't want to agree to a schedule that makes sense only until the girls are in school. This thing needs to last for the next 16 years. You can draw up two schedules and actually put both in the agreement. The "default" schedule is alternating weeks. This is the schedule that will be in effect if you two don't agree to a different schedule.

Then you can write up the "alternative" schedule, which you can agree to annually or whatever. This will be similar to her proposed schedule for now. The key is that once a year (lets say on August 1 of each year) you can agree to this schedule, or agree to some changes. If you don't agree, then the "default" schedule goes into effect.

As for delays...well to begin with Aug 5 is a Sunday. But seriously--the house apraisal is one thing to delay with. Don't have it done right now. Let her get one (but don't tell her to). Then after she gets her report, think about it for a few weeks, and then decide that it is too high. By a lot. Then tell her you are looking for another appraiser. Then pick one after a couple weeks. Then schedule the inspection for a couple weeks after that. Then wait for the report. Then wait to discuss it with your lawyer.

Never make an appt with your lawyer for less than a week from when you call. "Sorry, honey, my lawyer was booked until a week from Monday." Eventually you can express regret for your choice of a lawyer. "I didn't realize it would be so hard to get in to see her. I'd switch lawyers but I'm afraid that will just delay things more at this point."