I'm Third Party, Not Even a Fly on the Wall.. Husband gets Caught , Flies The Coop (Can't say Abandons because that term is Interpretated differently).. He has not given any Financial Support except for maybe twice at Christmas Time to Buy a couple Presents and that was like Pulling Hen's Teeth since He left 4 yrs ago.. Wife was a Stay @ Home Mother back then, But has now Re Entered the Workforce to Support her now Teenage Children and Herself.. The Cost of a Lawyer or even having Papers Served is rather prohibitive considering Survival otherwise.. Husband & Wife do contact each other every so often , Once the Dust settles some attempt to bring Closer. Is made... Lately Husband has agreed to File for Divorce and has obtained the Services of a Local Lawyer... Husband lives out somewhere on the Left Coast (Canadian Law btw) He has taken up with Another Woman and has Fathered 2 Children by this Woman.. My Question as the Beginning of the Back & Forth / Give & Take has begun.. Husband has pulled an Unrealistic amount for Monthly Support for Two Children out of his Hat.. Wife has asked for Retroactive Child Support, Wife has done some research and found that the average Child Support payments are 3 times what he has offered.. Now this is where I believe Husband is Blowing Smoke.. Through his Lawyer " If Wife Pushes for Retroactive Child Support Payments, He'll Sue for Spousal Support".. Can He?

He has filed for child support regarding the 2 children that are not his estranged wife's children?

Retroactive Child support is rare. We we need to know what province the divorce was filed in to see what the law is. Given the circumstances I doubt if a court would consider spousal support for him either.

This is where your own legal counsel is invaluable. I know, who has money for such a thing? Stop and think, he has one and can run rings around you and what you don't know. They can wear you down and out. They can say and do whatever they please, and are doing so. How old are YOUR kids, and why have you NOT gotten a court ordered child support, and maintenance plan for yourself, that includes visitations? It's no excuse you have allowed him to play these emotional games and threatened you with custody, support or anything else and if you had a legal counsel you would have been told that already.

Do you even know what a lawyer will cost you? You have a job now, so don't tell yourself how helpless you are, find a way to squeeze this into your budget, like you would if your car broke down, or your water heater busted. It matter little what he says now, as YOU have to have a plan on your side that works for you, as his works for him. Do you really think you can survive giving him what he wants while you, or your kids get nothing? You have wasted 4 years already following his program, now get one of your own.

So tell me why you didn't file for child support when he first left? Never mind, do so now, it's just a filing fee, and any clerk at your family court house can show you where the forms are.

Get that lawyer, or face a ruling that doesn't work for you. Is that simple enough to decide how to SURVIVE!

Has anything actually been filed yet at this point or is this just some process they are going through before filing ?

@ cdad.. As I Said , I'm Third Party Observer for lack of Better Words.. Husband has Obtained the Services of a Local Lawyer who had already Sent a Letter to which Wife has Replied.. Basically Wife's Reply was an Indicator where this was going to go, If you will.. It was the 2nd Salvo sent through his Lawyer that has me Wondering just where can Husband go with that or is he just Blowing Smoke is all..

@ talaniman... Absolutely , Unfortunately any extra Funds are Limited..