Negotiation Update: 1

Today I got the printed agreement back from my lawyer. This is the 3rd version. Every time we verbally agree on it, she decides she wants more when it is printed. And every time I have to agree to her demands or risk it all in court.

• We agreed on 50/50 parenting.
• She changed her mind and got more time.
• We agreed on equalizing parenting in two years.
• She changed her mind and changed it to re-evaluate in 3 years.
• We agreed on Shared Parenting as a concept.
• She changed her mind, but gave in eventually.

I have given the latest version to my wife to review and sign. Let's see if she changes her mind again. I don't think I can give up any more, but her lawyer keeps telling her to push for more.

In fact, even though we are theoretically close to an agreement, her lawyer called mine today and demanded financial histories and other papers so that they can litigate the whole thing. My lawyer thinks hers is either a loose cannon, or is trying hard to get her to take me to court.

It is ironic, really, because we both had agreed that we would just keep our own credit card debts, and split the rest of the assets. But if we split the debt too, she will do much worse, since I have the most debt. Neither my wife or her lawyer doesn't seem to understand this. But perhaps her lawyer is just trying to get more of a fee.


Also today, my wife blocked the electronic transfer of $300 from her account that occurs every month to pay toward the home loan. The loan was used to pay off her credit card bills, and she has been reluctantly paying on it (while I pay for everything else). I guess she feels that she doesn't have to pay anymore. I can take her debt off her hands for her.

Perhaps she is doing this in response to the Tivo. I shut off one of the two Tivos we have because she was a little too comfortable in a house where she pays nothing. I figured she could get her own or at least help pay a bill here or there.

Tomorrow we shall see if she agrees to the Settlement, or if I get screwed some more.