He said I'm not going to lose my kids. Worst case scenario - it will stay 50/50. (although I'm still a little stumped on that. If they won't take them away from me, why would they take them away from their dad)?

He said he'll work with me on a payment plan for his fees, but I still have to pay the GAL $500 by the middle of next week.

He said the ex is just trying to bully me into backing down so he doesn't have to pay support that he should have been paying all this time anyway. He's likely hoping that he'll end up with the kids more and I'll have to pay him. He reminded me that I'm doing this so my kids will be financially cared for.

He said if I drop this now, the ex will win again and I'll be out a lot of money for nothing. (that's been my thinking too. I hate the thought of losing and being out even MORE money, but it's a chance I have to take).

We aren't going to spend all summer in court. The GAL will meet once with each of us, maybe more, and then will make a recommendation to the court based on her findings. HER, he he. The ex will HATE that. He thinks all women band together and are biased towards men.

If the ex hired a lawyer now, I'm thinking it will be wasted money, since it's in the hands of the GAL now. Anything we protest, as far as the GAL's recommendation, will then go to the judge to decide, and I've been told that the judge rarely deviates from the GAL's call. The lawyer is just a liason between the court and me now, basically.

He also said if the ex doesn't want there to be any mud slinging, he needs to stop doing it himself.