Long Distance Issues.....Possible WAW

[Dazed&Confused]

Thanks Puppy. It sure doesn't feel like I am on the right track. The wife and I are in the middle of trying figure out a child support figure that we both can live with.

So sat down and got to work on a spreadsheet outlining the monthly bills. I listed everything out and removed them from what my normal bring home is for the month. I asked her to look it over and let me know if I left anything out.

The point of this was to show her what I was going to have to work with after I paid the "normal" bills. So we could look at things rationally.

So she responded with a bill I left out, and how I could save money here or save money there. Then she went on to say it was hard for her to be able to throw a number out there without knowing when I was coming back. Now get this, the deployment is a temporary assignment for year. When I am done, I will hopefully going back to my old job making my base salary. So what does me staying or going home have anything to do with us figuring out what my child support payments are going to be?

That is pretty much what I told her. As nice and considerately as I could, I reminded her of this fact. That once I come home, it is no secret how much money I will be making. She said that she couldn't decide because she didn't know how much money I was going to be making or how much I had saved up. It has no freaking bearing on this discussion. She left me barely a month into this assignement.

So I guess , does anyone have any suggestions on how I can approach this. I know its a little late because I already emailed her back, but I have a feeling that we will be volleying this back and forth. Is there a way that we can agree on the joint physical custody and then go to a mediator or judge for a child support ruling? I do not know if that would be better for me or not, but I have been reading a lot that says it might be.

Thanks again, and I will check back soon.....