I was reflecting on my situation today over lunch with a good friend. He was in equal disbelief to my situation as I am. My attorneys have told me over 3 separate meetings since that my situation is not appeal-able. It is a hard, bitter pill. I have copied a comment that didn't receive any notice previously and added a few small edits for understanding, detail and clarity.

I wanted to share this for no particular reason, not for pity, not for reassurance. Just that this is the life of a man who has worked hard to be someone worth respecting, done nothing of particular noteworthiness that is wrong or immoral, and who loves his son more than his own life. I suppose I just wanted others to be able to read this to inform them, warn them, and hopefully allow them to reflect on the system, both social and legal, that we live in. I hope this is helpful to someone in some way.

I just received the judge's opinion Friday morning at 10a. My ex-wife, who is a well-documented addict and suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder has been given de-facto full custody of my 3 year old son. I, thankfully, have lived a respectful and peaceful life and haven't been a moron. She had not, unbeknownst to me, until too late.  After 2 years, the judge appointed a guardian ad litem to the case, after a half dozen or more delays in the hearing. I had a tome of evidence. She presented 3 pages, literally, of "information" about me in her discovery.  The GAL report was, to accurately paraphrase my attorneys, 'Only outdone by one other report they had ever seen in their combined 30 years of practicing law, insomuch that it was so positive on one party [me] over the other [her].'  It was also the longest and most exhaustive report ever filed by a GAL in our area. Her recommendation was to award me full custody and my wife visitation every two weeks. In his issued opinion, the judge affirmed the admirable veracity and reliability of the GAL's report, and plainly stated he "found no issue with the trustworthiness of the report, and therefore overrules all of [wife's] objections."  Friday morning, at 10am, the judge's opinion was issued, which states that after turning 5, our son will live with his mother for 10 months out of the year and I will see him every 2 weeks for one day. I will have him during the summer for 2 months, and his mother will see him once every two weeks for two days.  I will go from a joint custody situation [1 week apiece] and paying a pittance for child support [why?], to paying [ have since found, SUBSTANTIALLY MORE] more child support and seeing my son a grand total of 90 days out of the year.  It will only be a matter of time before she is seeing some new man, and a man that is not my son's father will raise him.  I am devastated. The world is not fair, friend.