Quote:
Originally Posted by singledad99
Totally agree with today on this. Why do you even entertain the idea of spousal support after such a short marriage? Call her bluff and tell her that you would take it to the trial.
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Thank you guys for your feedback. I am surprised there is hope of no payment.
But how about the Federal guidelines formula which says it's $150-$200/mo in my case for up to one year? My lawyer, whose analysis I am questioning, told me that after her lawyer tells the judge, "This poor little woman lives in a shelter, has no income, was emotionally abused, and her husband has savings and makes a decent salary", the judge is likely to set an amount per month high enough to cover living expenses, >$1K/mo, and the term is unpredictable, such as "until she begins to work". So my lawyer suggests to contain the possible damage and pay close to $20K in total because I have this money (was trying to save for a downpayment).
I am worried too that I may get a poor outcome if I reply that all that was false - she lives with friends, not in a shelter (but I have no proof), that it was me who was abused (but no evidence and doesn't sound credible that a small woman could repeatedly punch a man in the head, or face, or kick), that she wrote a backdated promissory note that the $10K she had at the time of separation was actually a loan from her father. My lawyer says, the judge will simply look - you have income, she has none and no chance until immigration to make money, so provide her at least in the interim.
So I would like to believe an almost unanimous opinion here that I should owe her nothing, but am also afraid to crash. Her arguments sounded persuasive even to me

, no matter how false they are.
What do you think about the impact of them on the judge?