Ex / Babymom just put me on child support after everything what should I do?
I (22M) have been with my ex (20F) for about 7 years and we have two kids together, relationship was kinda messy but it had its moments you know, anyways about 7 months ago she stepped out of our relationship and was seeing this guy (20M) who as any person looking outside of this situation would say, isn’t a standup citizen. But she ended our relationship a month later and left to be with him and since then it has been pretty messy. Her new man threatened me off the first interaction 2 months ago trying to square up trying to assert that he’s here now and I need to know my place, in front of my kids as they were getting picked up by my babymom. At the same point in time she also got knocked up by him and since then she has been trying to ask me for money. Initially I would usually just have items delivered to her house like diapers or wipes or sometimes even clothes and I’d have some stuff at my place for the kids when I had them over which I never had a problem with but I just feel like I shouldn’t be funding both of their “extra decisions”. Last month her new man tried threatening me again to my face trying to square up again as I was dropping the kids off trying to demand me to give them money. I told him “f no I’m not funding your extra choices and he shouldn’t be doing this infront of the kids.” I left the situation so I can still see my kids and visiting since then has been pretty consistent without too many issues.
Last week I tried asking to have the kids for Father’s Day and she tried saying I can have them 9-5 because she has a cousins birthday party to get to, which I had a problem with, I didn’t try and interfere with her spending the day with them for Mother’s Day. I couldn’t even have the kids for my brother’s birthday or my great grandfather who’s probably not gonna be around much longer so despite arguing with a literal brick wall I decided I’ll take it where I could get it and go from there.
Yesterday I was served at my job child support papers and it was calculated $264 I’m not sure if it’s that per week or per month but either way I’m freshly new to this. My mom told me to fight it any way I can. Document that her new partner lives there so that they have to take his income into account along with getting receipts and records in place which I’m in the process of doing. I don’t know if I should get an attorney just for good measure or would I be wasting money at that point? Either way I’m already struggling as a single dad with two kids and this ontop only makes things harder so I’m open to hearing advice from anyone who’s been through it so I know what to do and what to expect.