Originally Posted by
TropicalWinter 
Oh, I totally realize that only a local lawyer can give me the best, most relevant advice. Support is what I'm seeking here, not legal advice.
And to clarify - the kids and I don't live WITH my inlaws. They own the house that we live in, but they have a separate home.
I had thought about the storage unit idea, but I didn't think about the lease issue. I do know there are places that do month-to-month rentals.
I know you weren't asking for legal ADVICE, but what I'm saying is we can't even tell you what to EXPECT. So much depends on so many individual factors. Some people breeze through the process, relatively speaking, and other people have one battle after another. It's really impossible to predict. It's sort of like when you're pregnant and listen to other people's stories about labor. For some people it's a relative smooth, fast event and very manageable, and for others it's agonizingly painful with complications and less-than-helpful medical care. Know what I mean?
Most people have at least some points at which it's difficult--emotionally, at least. I've had two divorces and both were very simple and virtually painless except for the sadness that accompanies the loss that it represents.
As for the storage places, it's likely that even with a month-to-month lease, it will automatically renew until the contents are removed. Otherwise, the storage company is stuck with potentially disposing of a bunch of property and also taking the risk of being sued if they dispose of it--even if the agreement allows it, they are exposing themselves to responsibility for the contents.
Check it out, by all means, maybe you can find one that will work the way you hope it will.