I guess I don't understand why you are gearing up for a trial before you and your ex at least *try* (w/the help of counsel of course) to work out something. I am sure both you and your ex will have to bend a bit but wouldn't a bit of bending be better than a trial?
Maybe I am missing something or you did post a reason why but why not see if there is an alternative. I understand your ex is going for full custody but wasn't that just the initial filing?
It just seems like an awful lot right out of the gate. Have you asked your attny what possible solutions are out there and at least have your attny present it to your ex's attny?
She's actually going for a flip flop of what I have currently, primary custody. Which means she would have her more nights than me. That would mean D3's smoking drunk of a grandfather would be watching her most nights given that my ex works then. To me thats still unacceptable. Given that I have D3 6 out of 7 nights...I'm the only one who would be bending...my ex really has nothing to offer.
My ex only has one night off per week and shes already shown she wont necessarily be spending it with D3. So if I bend even a little...who wins? No one...but D3 will lose. I dont really see an alternative that will keep D3 safe/healthy but be bending. My attorney tends to agree that what we have now should just be maintained (and until I spoke w/my L and realized my ex wasnt going for full custody...I wanted to file for full...so maybe that already is bending).
And I dunno if mediation would be better than a trial. It would be less costly...and we do have to do that before a trial in our state...but at the same time once the evidence that I've gathered is presented (and no I dont mean the tax evasion avenue) there will be little doubt what kind of parent my ex is and any lies she's been spreading about me will lose credibility.
I mean...what mother refers to her two and a half year old as a "little bitch" just because she didnt get a hug after giving D3 something?
