re: Single dads: do goodbyes get easier?

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Decree isn’t done. I am fighting for 50-50.

In regards to full custody, I feel like it isn’t in the best interests of her to take her away from her mother. When I am present, mom seems to be a loving mother, regardless of what she did to me.

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Amd you know, that's fine. There's no reconciliation possible and 50/50 is the compromise. Actually, the bargain if you're saying full. You deserve the best thing you both created. She's so tiny that your bond begins now. She knows nothing except the life and story you create. Promise us you won't give up.

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11 year old son is a different story.

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What's the delta? Different woman? Did he get a phone earlier than the 22 year old? Phones turn most kids into total (insert English cuss words here).

Women are generally (let me repeat, generally) horrible influences on children. I know it's counter intuitive, but it'll make sense the next time you see a kid throwing nuggets around a Wendys and mom trying to find the right Youtube video to shut them up on the iPad. Yes, plenty of men go along with that, but you didn't have to. (not trying to crap on you, but we have to acknwoledge our complicity in kid behavior.)

My grandmother wouldn't even let me read in the car when I was a kid. "Look at the scenery," she said (edit: And that was in BFE in a midwestern state with nothing but corn and soybean fields for 30 miles). And I could still find my way back to their old house without a map or GPS today.

I expected to have a family like the one in which I grew up, with mom and dad at home, but became a single dad to a 3 year old girl. Mom wanted me to be the every other weekend dad but I wouldn't have it. Wanted to raise my child and fought for 50/50. Wasn't easy due to mom's mentality and judge and evaluator stupidity. Thought about writing a book.

I hated every minute daughter was away. However, she learned that her mom was not the easiest person to talk to, whereas daughter was basically a little female mini-me. As a result I think that we ended up having an even closer relationship than if she had both parents together, because of the single dad and daughter dynamic when it was just the two of us sharing life.

Wish you the best in your situation. Don't know the ropes in Texas so get professional advice from the best family law attorney you can possible afford.

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Don't know the ropes in Texas so get professional advice from the best family law attorney you can possible afford.

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Spending more doesn't mean greater effectiveness. Do they hit you with a charge for sending an email? My friend spent $100k on three different lawyers, and his divorce took almost four years to get settled. I spent $5k retainer to fix what I f$&@ed up dealing with fixing what the mediator screwed up (yes, it's ex-wife's fault, not the mediator). Ex-wife spent twice that to drill me with a broomstick because I thought we would be civil. That was dumb. I could have hired the $5k retainer lawyer at the start and saved plenty of money, while actually getting to see my kids, on you know, father's day.

Mine doesn't. She's a shark. Her husband is rich and retired (as I assume she is,) and she does this to keep her mind stimulated, apparently. I scheduled a 15m intro call with her, and asked her how to pay for it, she brushed me off, and spent an hour on the phone with me hearing my sob story, no charge. I tried to pay her. She refused to even take a consult fee.

My attorney definitely seems like a lawyer that fights for men.

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Mine doesn't

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That is very unusual.

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I scheduled a 15m intro call with her, and asked her how to pay for it, she brushed me off, and spent an hour on the phone with me hearing my sob story, no charge. I tried to pay her. She refused to even take a consult fee.

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The vast majority of attorneys (especially in family law) do free consultations before taking on a client.

I always try to pay anyone, for any amount of their expertise. It is unusual, for sure. Like I said, she blew me off and dug in, when I expected to do be a fact finding sort of mission. I tried to pay her beforehand.

The free consult I expected to last 15m, which I also tried to pay for, and it went on for almost an hour. She reviewed decree documents before the call, and was prepared AF.

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Make more babies and find a better mom. It gets better.

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I would do this. It won’t replace your daughter, but it would help some. Your daughter would also like having a brother or sister. I know you got burned so easier said than done. My mom and I were talking today about how some moms will poison a child against the father. Using the child as pawns to hurt the dad. Women like this are the worst kinds of parents.

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An hour is pretty standard for a free consult. I'd read anything a client could provide before, as well (but they usually don't).

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LOL, I have electric bills scanned from 11 years ago, I'm the guy forwarding you 500mbs of PDFs. I limit commo to once a week/month to avoid being a firehose of "WTF is she doing," but she kept asking me to reach out to her in case I needed anything. I must be one of the rare people that thinks, "No, you get paid for your expertise, I'll bother you when I think it's actually important." Admittedly, I'm not qualified to determine what is material and what is not, but I'm not an idiot.

There is a difference from what I imagine BS consults (I'm not saying yours, but just envisioning what happens when a rando walks in and vents) are from people that are super emotional and those that are in the ultra suck.