Keep up the good fight! Your children are worth more than anything else! Keep going, man! Get those kids back! Sell all your pins, fuck it. It's only money and it grows back.

I'm involved in a similar situation: an insane lawsuit from my ex wife. $35,000 in. This, after I spent $55,000 8 years ago to obtain shared 50-50 custody of my daughter, who is now 10.

So: my daughter has lived with me for 8 years, is doing well going back and forth.

Last summer, my ex served me with papers for two lawsuits based on the same argument. The first was an "emergency motion" to obtain custody of my daughter. Her argument? I endangered the child because I continue to see my 55-year old Bank Manager GF of 3 years through COVID.

Our goddamned stupid government had no position on this at the time, so lawsuits have been rampant. Now, of course, the government declines to dictate people's personal lives because how could they forbid people from having relationships for years and years and years? (COVID is an open-ended situation).

The Judge threw out this "emergency motion" and ordered my ex. to pay half my court costs for the emergency motion.

Unfortunately, that was $25,000 extra dollars ago and this has been my bill, since then.

The main case still stands and it is based on the same argument that she lost the emergency motion for. Last July, we said Pretty Please drop your case or we will ask for all legal expenses, moving forward. The witch continued her case, changing the topic from COVID to trying to extort and blackmail me (in writing, to my lawyer) three times threatening to go to the tax people (complete garbage: I'm squeaky clean, tax-wise). Then, it shifts to child support, which is another argument. All under the same umbrella of her court case for COVID.

Luckily, I received a decent inheritance a few years ago and I can absorb the costs.

It is harrowing to receive these bills, though, for a completely BS case that's a moving target.

The basic tenets of the legal system are ok (I realize they help defend our freedoms in a Democracy)...but they really need to create a screening procedure to vet completely stupid, circus-like lawsuits, in advance.

Legal rates are well above loan shark rates. And loan sharking is illegal.

Governments need to step in and regulate these blood sucking lawyers.

Yep...agreed.

That said, from my limited experience Judges DO take arguments as they are presented, based on logic and their own experience and try their very best to make decisions accordingly. And men have traditionally gotten the short end of the stick in Family Law, but from my experience my gender had nothing to do with the Judge's decision...so I would say this has changed, somewhat. Act like a dick and get treated like a dick. Advice for men: get a female lawyer, get out of the way and let your representative do the talking for you.

Another tip to those out there who are getting a divorce or will get a divorce: offer to pay Spousal Support as a LUMP SUM payment and get it over with.

I did this, and it saved me a a load of dough.