Hey RTL I just wrote on your thread.

Here is what's happening on my side.

Things have gotten much more serious for me.

Last week, I was served with a petition for protection - a restraining order. My W asked the court to order that I cease all contact with her and with the children, until they turn 18.

Quite a shock to me.

There is a hearing scheduled next week, but in the interim, I am bound by a temporary order that says I may not communicate in any way with my children.

There is no inciting event. There was no violence or threatening act. There was nothing that brought this on. The only thing I can think is, it is the pressure of the divorce getting to my W. We had been communicating in email regarding residential time with the children, and finances, and so on. All the ugly business of divorce. Like RTL, I was asking for more time with the kids than my W was willing to offer. So clearly there was a conflict there. And then out of the blue, she served me with these papers.

Couple things ensued: First, my lawyer, a woman, started looking at me very differently. Questioning that maybe I Really am a violent man.

I tried to re-assure her but I think she is now very wary about me. She advised that I need to respond directly to all of the things in my W's statement. And that I would benefit from getting independent declarations from other people, describing the nature of my relationship with my children.

So I called a bunch of people who knew and know my family, and told them what was going on. Without exception, everyone was shocked my W would take such a drastic step. Everyone very concerned. Many of them used the word "Crazy" when describing this action. One said "I want to just shake her!" (this was a woman, a good friend of my W's).

Of course, some of these people called my W and asked "what the he11?" That very afternoon, she relented on the protection order requesting that I never see my kids again. That very afternoon.

At this point it has been over a week since I saw my children.

I'm lonely.
I'm low.
But I am keeping it together.
Thinking long term.

Gotta run.

M 43
S14 S13 D11 D7
Divorce final: Jan 2009
Making it up as I go....