Just Venting

[toomanydogs]

I feel really alone right now.
In no particular order, things I’m facing.
My 2 adult kids especially my daughter seem really critical of how I’m ‘handling ‘ this divorce. My daughter was angry with me on Wednesday because I was having a flare up of PTSD and wouldn’t talk with my lawyer on the phone. I emailed her instead. 
Lawyers in my opinion aren’t that touchy-feely when a person is falling apart. I couldn’t have direct contact with L that day but I emailed and spoke with her the next day.
My kids (and my lawyer) are also not in agreement on a non-disparaging clause.
The problem is that if I sign one it means that I will spend the rest of my life with my stbx fil breathing down my neck. It would mean that he would monitor whatever I write. My in laws control their public personas to such an extent that they were upset there’d been an announcement in s magazine that they had silt ty apartment.
I’m  better off without signing one and letting my fil sue for libel as he’d be unable to do so as I wouldn’t lie.
My L told me that signing a non disparaging clause would bring me a certain amount of $. I told her that the only way I’d be willing to sign one is if I got my house and enough $$ to stay in the house.
Unlikely to
Happen.
I’ve argued it out with my lawyer. She doesn’t agree but 1) she’s not a writer and 2) she doesn’t know my father-in-law.
She said the money that would be offered would be the amount I could conceivably get for that kind of book but for me the amount would need to be enough for me to know fil would read everything I wrote to make sure I didn’t write anything too closely based on him.
I can’t do it. I would feel like I let myself down. It would need to be a very high amount.
My kids and now my sisters are just, agree to what they offer as long as you get something.
Sigh.
Fighting is hard enough. I wish my kids understood.
And all of my sisters.
One last rant: I’m not sleeping so great these days. And now I’ve got a sick dog.
Tmd

[MeandThee29]

I'm sorry that you are going through this. Divorce is horrible, and you have such complications!

[I Am Redeemed]

I'm sorry, TMD.

I'm not a professional writer (yet), but I hope to be someday, and I totally get how important it is to you to have the freedom to write what is in your heart to write. It seems like your fil would be policing all your published work from here on out, and who's to say he wouldn't cause trouble over the slightest suspicion of resemblance.

I admire you for holding to your values.