PA.
1. I am just trying to think ahead, at all times. Ive had our kid most of the time for quite a few years. Since we split the only thing Mom took care of was insurance. She lost a few jobs and stopped giving me insurance info. To this day, I'm not sure if the kid has insurance or not with her, so I just went out and got it on my own on the exchange. All I know is the child doesn't have coverage through the big carriers since that is what the exchange can check against. I make about $43/yr including bonuses. From what I know, she makes around $11/hr. I will not be asking for any child support if I get my custody preference, which is to remain the same at 1 weekday and e/o weekend for her. She's firing back with 50-50 based on... nothing.. but crazy things happen and I like to be prepared. In the event she gets her way, can I expect to pay child support? In the event that I get my way, can she still ask for child support (she's hopping mad, and is looking for ways to punish me) despite the fact that she has had and will have our kid significantly less than me? Remember, she may or may not already carry health insurance for the child. I will find that out at court, hopefully. And now, I definitely also carry insurance for the child.
2. One of the things I am asking for is no contact between the child and ex's long-term boyfriend. I never thought to look but when checking on her criminal issues, I checked on him too and as it turns out he has more than one conviction that is a problem to the PA courts in terms of record of the parent or household member. Since I have asked for this, her response is to start saying more (inane) things over texts about how my wife and stepchildren cannot be around the child. They are not family according to her and therefore the child's relationship with them should be severed (despite the fact that we have been married about five years and she's never once had a problem with my wife until, magically, the day of the custody filing). I know to ignore that, BUT... I am concerned now how this is going to affect my wife. I always thought that barring any sort of emotional or physical abuse or those pesky prior convictions, a stepparent was pretty much invisible in a custody situation. What should she/we be prepared for? The ex is really grasping and quite desperate and people do stupid things like make CPS allegations to try to bolster their case, in the absence of a strong case. Does my wife need to be prepared for the potential that she may need to testify or be interviewed?