[gooddadgoingmad]

This is great information and I thank you so much for providing me with the links.

The guidelines are a scary prospect for me. I can see why ex's lawyer would want to use them as the guidelines seem to put her in a much better position. I notice the term "income sharing" and it's maddening!!! I still don't know how to incorporate the fact that I am living in a place with such a high cost of living. The fact that I could be left here, in a community where I have no family and no support, without enough money to live on or even to leave if I have to, is terrifying. I am also worried because I travel a lot with my job and I am expected to pay for my costs up front and apply for reimbursment AFTER the duty travel. Due to the bankruptcy I have no credit cards and if I am left with only half my salary due to spousal support and child support payments, I won't even be able to afford to take trips required by my job. Just the other day I was stuck in a major arctic blizzard in a community of 300 ppl on a stop-over via plane, and was expected to pay for my hotel until the blizzard let up. I had to call my boss and was mortified when he said, "just put it on your credit card." I had to tell him that I had no credit card, or enough money in my account to pay for the hotel. I was absolutley mortified! I've never felt so low before in my life. I ended up stuck for 3 days in this isolated community waiting out the blizzard andhad to call my father in newfoundland to put the hotel room on his visa. I'm 45 years old and I felt like a scared teenager.....

The stress is taking it's toll on me. I am seeing a mental health nurse on thursday. I am hoping it will help to talk to someone but there's a part of me that feels that without money, I am nothing and am doomed. On the other hand I also know that any money I have, the ex will take.

I'm going to do some more research on income sharing. I need to figure out a way to show the judge that I cannot survive on the amount that I would be left with if my ex gets her spousal support judgement.