Originally Posted by
SuperPilotWife
Is your attorney a Family Law Specialist? Have you attended mandatory mediation? Is your County a "recommending County"? (That means that the Mediator makes a recommendation and it is adopted by the Judge.)Usually the Judge's Temporary Order becomes the Final Order unless there is a change of circumstances or some compelling argument. And once an Order is made there must be a change of circumstances in order to change it, at least in California. I don't understand the Judge's decision. You should not be penalized by your employment and should be granted a timeshare close to a 50/50 arrangement . In California, you can have a caretaker for your child during your "visitation" and are not penalized by your employment or the fact that you are working (with your ex having the first right of refusal for childcare during the time you are not available to your son...but it still counts as your time, if that makes sense.) If I were you, I would seek "Joint Legal" and "Joint Physical" custody.
Well my situation seems to be penalizing because I am a pilot. My wife left the marriage after being with another man. My mediation was a joke, the wife wanted EVERYTHING including spousal support which Texas does not give. I have not heard of "recommending county" so I guess it is not. I know that everything discussed in mediation is not able to be heard by the judge. My lawyer seems to have better things to do than work on my case. No returned phone calls or emails. We got slaughtered in temporary orders hearing. I am not only fighting the wife but her family as well. Since she lives with them now everyone seems to think that it is in the best interest of my child to pull Dad out of the picture since I don't have a stable predictable schedule. The wife has no incentive to come to any reasonable agreement because if she does nothing standard gets put in place. This was not an abusive marriage, nor did I cheat on her, I don't know why I am getting this treatment. I figured if she wanted to date other people and not work on our marriage this would be what she wanted.
I am afraid that our temporary orders will be finalized and that just cannot stand.
As far as staying away from court, we are still in the punitive punishment of the soon to be ex husband. I put an offer that included spousal support during mediation and she didn't take it. Nor could we agree on the following pick up and drop off dates. Court seems to be inevitable.