Divorce Advice for Men | Fathers Rights Divorce | Child Custody

Question:

My wife and I reached a marital separation agreement while we were separated, but we never actually filed for divorce following a reconciliation.

Now that we are filing for divorce some months later and she no longer wants to use the terms of our previous settlement, is there a good chance that the judge will use these old agreement as the basis for decisions pertaining to child custody, alimony, property division, and other issues that were agreed upon?

Question:

My wife does not want a divorce but she does want to separate. However, in my research online it appears my state does not offer "legal separation" but rather "separate maintenance orders."

What is a separate maintenance order and how is it different from a divorce?

Question:

Since my wife and I separated I have been paying her household expenses, such as rent and bills, as a form of child support and alimony.

I met with a divorce attorney and he told me that I do not have to be paying for any of that since I haven't been ordered to by the court. I pay that money since my kids are with her half the time and I want them to live in a comfortable place.

Should I continue paying for her household expenses while the divorce is pending, and can I deduct any of these payments for tax purposes?

Question:

When a legal separation agreement is signed by both parties can the terms be modified?

Does the legal separation agreement dissolve when the divorce is final?

Question:

My wife and I signed a separation agreement after we filed for divorce that I would get custody of our child, but she fled the state the other day with him and won't return.

My son lived exclusively with me for almost a year without even a visit from his mom and the day I let her see him she took off and left the state.

How will the court look at these circumstances for the purpose of determining who gets custody?