The journey begins

[ClingingToHope]

Kerry, my L came very highly recommended and he's been straight with me. If I really want to fight for custody, he told me it's going to be expensive and a difficult road for me since she has been the physical custodian for 11 months.

He said my best bet is to take an agreement that protects the time I have with them now and gives me a lower child support payment than what the state guidelines suggest.

Her lower has painted us into a corner. They are asking for sooo much that I'm better off fighting it out in court.

My IC said she's heard of W's lawyer. She's had clients complain that he offers a low initial retainer and then ramps up the tension so that things end up nasty and contested and then he gets a fat fee whether or not he's successful.

Ding, ding, ding.

SecondChance. The house is not an asset. It's an anchor. We owe $125,000 on it because we had to refinance after a flood in 2007. That jacked up what we owe. And with the housing crash, it's now worth well less than what we owe.

Plus, it's a money pit. It has a crack in the ceiling running the length of the house. The water heater and sewer injector are going to need replacing as will the dish washer. It needs an interior and exterior paint job. It needs new windows on the porch. A huge tree in the back yard is falling down in chunks and needs to be cut down.

The mediation is just us and the mediator. The Ls took the step of requesting it before it was court ordered to save some money.

I have no idea what next week will bring. I can't see either of us backing down because I think her attorney is telling her she can't lose if we go to court.