I appreciate the comments and support about how what I did is not abusive. it took me a long time to have confidence that I was not the monster she portrayed me to be.
She has never made overt abuse allegations. But she did talk about them in MC. (Counselors are mandatory reporters if they think the allegations hold water). She alludes to her "safety concerns." She has called me "angry" and "violent" and "delusional" if I assert myself calmly. In other words, she isn't running off to the police or filing ROs, but she still has a dangerous mindset.
My main question is whether I should stick it out in mediation.
Reasons to Try: - Stand up for myself, refute her safety concerns, and let her reaction guide my decision (rather than assume she is going to accuse me of abuse and take me to court if I don't agree with what she wants) - I may feel "better" about trying to handle it this way (i.e., no conflict avoidance) - It may result in less drama surrounding the kids
Reasons to File for support orders: - W's attitude is not conducive to mediating and compromising - "Reset" expectations - get away from the "this is what we are doing now, we should start with that and make incremental changes" idea - The longer I stay in separation limbo, the more our current precedent is established - Filing does not prevent us from continuing mediation - it just applies some pressure to get things moving
