Need a lawyer or law professor's istance?

What is the legal term for Opportunity to litigate? I recently went to Family court to petition for custody of my children as a pro se litigant. I was told by the judge that my petition was denied because I missed the opportunity to litigate when I had previously been at the courthouse for a Child Support hearing shortly after I filed my petition and before my final trial date? The judge kept using a legal term and then finally told me what it meant but also said that if I was a lawyer I would of know this and would not have wasted the court's time.