Hi Glove, in my experience your Option #2 (trying to have the Petition for Divorce dismissed) only works if both parties agree to the dismissal. One party not wanting the divorce will not work.
I had a friend tell me this recent war story - he did not want to have his marriage ended after his W filed for divorce. When he went to a court hearing and asked that the judge not sign the final divorce order, the judge said "this is America, we don't allow slavery!" The judge equated an unhappy marriage to the unhappy marriage partner being in slavery!
Yes, use Option #3. And there are all sorts of different lawyers, and you should have a free meeting with at least 3 attorneys. Do you want an aggressive, fight everything attorney? Or a more conciliatory attorney? You have my best wishes.
