[quote]More than you want to spend . Do NOT offer to pay maintenance for any more than 3 years or for more than 20% of your gross income . Don't forget that maintenance is tax deductible to you and taxable to her . Counter-offer , CS per state guidelines , maintence for 1 year at no more than 10% of your gross and you get to claim the kids for tax purposes every other year and a 50/50 split of any marital property . If you can , take less of the marital estate to lower maintenance . [/quote]
I'm thinking my counter will have no SS...let her negotiate from zero. My first offer to her was statutory CS PLUS the full 3 years of SS at the full amount because I wanted to be rid of her and she turned it down because she thought she might be able to get more. Her counter-offers have been ridiculous and each one is more demanding than the last. I don't think there's any way this won't go to mediation/court, though she says she doesn't want it to.