Sorry this got really long. TL;DR: I want to work but lawyer says it could screw me on support later, and ex is going to try and make as much financial pain for me as possible.

My STBXW kicked me out (like, changed the locks when I was away), cancelled credit cards, and drained the bank accounts. Sound familiar? So when that happened I shit myself because I was laid off last year and work temporary jobs. I took on a bunch more contract work so I could afford a 2 bedroom which is $$$. Lawyer told me to spend the money so I'd get visitation, which I got no thanks to ex trying a PO.

I just had my temporary orders hearing and it was not what I expected at all. I mean, I expected very little, but the judge was pissed because she was behind, scheduled us for 15 minutes to do GAL, custody, some payment for legal fees, and whatever else. My STBXW is the high earner by a fair bit, and with her cutting me off from our joint accounts I expected some support until my job situation stabilized. All my financials were filled out and filed months ago but because I was getting contract work I didn't have pay stubs. Ex's lawyer squawked about how they didn't know my income and the judge railed on me, like totally put me on the spot and cut me off. IDK about my lawyer, like if he didn't see this coming or there was nothing he could do or he dropped the ball--he said he's only seen OC do something like this a few times in his career, but shit the judge seemed to buy it. We filled out all our financials in January and she was pissed at me for not having my W2 and 1099s, and after that she just shut my lawyer down and railed more on me. I swear, if I'd been unemployed I'd have been better off. All judge did was order my STBX to release some money she tied up from a joint savings account, and punted our temporary orders down 2 months.

So now my lawyer is telling me it's a fine line. If I keep working how I am he says I could end up paying support, and I've been working a lot. He says it's common that guys will pick up OT when they move out and then support gets based on that, and then you're wedded to it. I don't know what to do. Contract work pays okay, but I never know when it will run out and a full time job right now I just havent had any luck. I want the stability of taking all the work I can and not working, like, I've been working to keep myself from just melting down. My long term prospects though, like I want to be albe to take care of myself and my kid and be comfortable, but lawyer says if I make too much I could screw myself. Based on what I saw, judge isn't going to say oh, you work contract so you still have to shell out SS tax and health insurance and keep paying into your retirement (I'm old) on what you're making, so I gotta figure that in, okay, she's going to say, wow, you made a lot of money. Advice anybody? We have mediation in 2-3 months, then another temporary orders hearing in freaking July. Maybe the ex is going to pull something in mediation and then get to the next temporary orders hearing and IDK what? From the PO on it's clear ex is going to make this a financial war of attrition, and we are not rich but she has more resources than I do, and the mortgage is half what I pay for a fair place to live. I'm spending down my income and savings for housing and legal fees until then. Lawyer says "don't give up." I just want something to be normal. and damn I stayed married a long time because I did't want to lose my kid and divorce is just financial ruin for everybody.