Trial took place over the last few days for a divorce that was filed in September of 2024. My ex, who is the higher earner by a high percentage, was insisting on full custody and retaining 100% of the marital assets. I'm the plaintiff in the case and never expected to be one of the small percentage of cases that actually make it this far. The unique part about this case is we've been separated (not legally) since 2019 with a number of items still co-mingled such as taxes, insurance, joint bank accounts., etc while (her in not good faith) we attempted to negotiate a dissolution.

Day 1, I'm on stand for examination by my attorney and then cross began shortly before lunch. In my state the courts prefer shared parenting, which does not match my ex's position. Upon returning from lunch, while we are still only on my testimony, the ex agrees to MY shared parenting plan. Signed into order of the court, done! Win! This was a huge surprise. Cross examination continues through the rest of the afternoon and the trial is running severly behind schedule due to an excessive amount of discovery issues by the opposing side. To end the day the judge speaks to council only to advise how she might rule on the financials if the trial were to end now. I would agree to those terms, but my ex would not. On to day 2.

We begin the moring finishing cross of me and re-direct. The discovery issues continue to pile up and the judge is getting pissed. We move on to witness 2, my ex. The wheels fell off the cart within the first 20 minutes of her being questioned by my attorney. Her financial affidavit does not match her supporting tax and W2 documentation that was later produced, in 1 year there was a CONSIDERABLE discrepency. Then comes the biggie She spoke of "no-value" employee stock in her deposition. When my attorney questioned those stocks as it pertains to her affidavit, where they were not disclosed, the judge lost it. Plaintiff and defendant were excused from the court room and the attorneys remained......for the next hour and 20 minutes. To add additional complexity, her employer was subpoenaed for all employement and compensation records, they did not provide documentation of any employee stock earnings in the response and their HR executive dodged a subpoena to testify in court.

I was anticipating the judge to throw the book at my ex and that to result in a settlement offer by my ex. Nope, the judge doesn't want that. Now we have a status hearing scheduled for August and I'm filing suit against her employer as party to her in the divorce. Never in a million years did I think I would have to sue my ex's employer to get a divorce.