Patience and caution are critical in court. 15 years ago my crazy ex took my baby to another state and accused me of everything from molestation to abuse. I was in more pain than I could ever describe to you. Six weeks without holding my baby girl while her miter dumped her at grandmas and went out clubbing.
I wanted to drive to grannies, kick the door down, dismantle whatever was suicidal enough to get between us and take my daughter home after burning the house down on my way out. Angry? Try seething.
But a man is not allowed to be angry in a courtroom. The system is run by too many people who see men as the villain.
Six weeks of patient documentation and calmly luring crazy ex and her crazy mom into taped confessions and taunts, admissions of perjury and mockingly laughing about how I was the most devoted parent imaginable but if I did not cough up x amount of money and allow them primary custody they would claim I was a molester and I'd never see my baby again except through a window.
By the time I risked giving the other state a valid claim by appearing and winning a return to my home state I was living in a dark house - lawyer wanted money and so did the electric company but candles are fine for studying the family code by.
By the time it got home I was pro-se. Mom and three of her witnesses wound up facing contempt and/or perjury charges, their rent a shrink lost her license and my baby came home and never left again.
At that point my boot was on moms throat in the legal battle and my friends never understood why I didn't lean into it and let her get what she deserved, why I never pursued the unpaid child support etcetera.
Simple - I wanted her to use her money to keep a nicer place, I wanted her to know that if she deviated from my daughters best interests even once then all 200 pounds would be in that foot. Controlling? Manipulative? Ok - I can live with that.
My daughter is fine though and nothing else was relevant. This is chess not checkers so be strategic ad think ahead