I really thought maybe he was waking up. And, at the very least, this D could get easier. Just this part could be easier.
Herein lies the problem: you allowed yourself to get a little hopeful, and then, when he didn't say "Heather, I realize how wrong I was and I want you all back!" you lashed out and unloaded on him.
I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve it, but it came out of an irrational abandoned child place of yours and was a disproportionate response. As a divorce strategy, it was kinda stupid.
This negotiation is about BUSINESS at this time, stop dragging the personal into it.
Legitimate points: - the tools were bought with OUR money during the marriage and were joint property. - you had ample notice to retrieve your things - you were not contributing adequately to the household expenses and the sale was necessary to provide food for your children.
YOU don't need to make those legitimate points - your LAWYER does. Give that breakdown to the lawyer so he can make the appropriate arguments. You weren't a vengeful wife selling off hubbie's toys for pennies for revenge - you sold some abandoned joint property for necessary food money.
H's attorney will try to put a value on the tools and subtract it from any money H owes you; you counter with the value of anything H took that should have been 1/2 yours. This is just the dollars and cents negotiation stuff and you need to leave your emotions out of it. That's why you let your attorney deal with most of this. In fact, you letting H know how eager you are to be done gives him leverage - he'll feel like you're more willing to take a crappy offer just to be done.
