How can we celebrate Freedom with a chain around our ankle?

The 4th of July Celebrates Freedom
Right?

Independence or In-Dependence Day?

Freedom is a word we throw around about the United States. We're free to drive from state to state without inspections.  We're free to go to the church or school we want.  We're even free to marry whoever we want.  And that's where the freedom ends.  Once you are married, the state has a firm grip on your future.  50% of marriages end in divorce.  People change. Depending on the reasonableness of each spouse, the divorce will either be amicable or horrible.  Family law attorneys prefer horrible.  There's much more money to be made! 

So what do we do about it?  Since 2011 we have been working to update Florida's antiquated family laws.  In 2013 and 2016 Gov. Scott vetoed bills that were overwhelmingly supported by the Florida House and Senate.  In 2015 the Florida House did not finish their session and went home early, leaving many good bills to die, including alimony reform.  What is to keep Gov. Scott from vetoing another bill?  Two things.

First, we will support alimony reform and/or child sharing as separate bills, unless we have specific knowledge that the Gov will sign a bill that somehow combines both. We will do our best to check with the governor to see what he will sign and what he won't sign.  Rep. Workman told us last year that Gov. Scott would veto any bill that had child sharing attached to it. And the governor did just that.  Working backwards, we'll help craft a bill that Gov. Scott will sign.

Second, we need a public outcry!  Last year having 10,000 people asking Gov. Scott to sign the bill wasn't enough.  We need 100,000 Floridians to stand up for our families and demand that the Family Court System helps to end a failed marriage without ripping the family completely apart!  The destruction of Florida families is largely due to the existing laws that many Family Law Attorneys use to divide the family and conquer the bank accounts.  Conflict creates great income opportunities for Family Law Attorneys. A mediated outcome without opposing attorneys usually will get the best long term result for the entire family at a fraction of the cost. Most family law attorneys appear to be against this straightforward solution. Wonder why?

So when you see the fireworks, listen to the music, enjoy the hamburgers, hotdogs, potato chips and drinks, enjoy the freedoms we have, but stand up and fight for the freedoms our state took away from us.  If you don't pay alimony to your ex-spouse who is capable but refuses to work, you go to jail. That Is Not Freedom!!!! You have broken no laws, but still go to jail.  Think about it!!

Then get involved! It will be great to celebrate July 4th and be totally FREE! No more ball & chain. The sooner you get involved, the sooner we will all celebrate! 

POINT OF VIEW: Craft reasonable legislation to reform alimony system 

Give children as much time with both parents as possible

As a parent, you probably want to make sure that you get to see your child as often as possible after divorce. In many states, it's assumed that parents should share custody, but that's not exactly the case in Florida.

Is shared parenting the law in Florida?

A new Florida law to propose and enact shared parenting time was proposed recently, but the governor decided to veto it. According to the law, permanent alimony would have been ended and shared parenting strategies would have been determined in court. The goal would be to give children as much time with both parents as possible; in many cases, the time would be split as close to equal as it could be.

In the past, it was not uncommon to see women get child custody and for fathers to have visitation only on weekends or holidays. That was particularly common because of the belief that mothers were best suited to caring for their children. That isn't always the way people think today, but the laws in Florida still don't protect fathers by making child custody arrangements based on equal or close-to-equal custody guidelines.

Is shared parenting better for children?

Some would say so, and around 70 percent of the public does support shared parenting overall. Despite the fact that it has a heavy backing, the way the laws work in Florida don't support shared parenting and encourage the courts to break up child custody in whatever way is best suited in the situation, even if that limits a child's time with one parent.

For the second time, lawmakers are sending an alimony overhaul to Gov. Rick Scott, who vetoed a previous attempt at rewriting Florida's divorce statutes three...

Source: Florida Legislature sends controversial alimony and child-support law to governor for approval

Excerpt:

"This is people's lives that we are playing with. We cannot afford to play games with people's lives. We need to think about the real-life consequences of this bill," 

REMEMBER - the last time the Florida Alimony Reform bill was on Governor Scott's desk, he vetoed it.It's now sitting...
Posted by Florida Alimony Reform on Monday, March 14, 2016

Open Letter to Florida Governor Rick Scott!

...by Men's Rights Group of Arizona

Our Open Letter to

Florida Governor Rick Scott

Please Sign Bill 668 For the Children of Florida

Dear Governor Scott,

The Men’s Rights Group of Arizona strongly urge you to sign SB 668. This Bill will bring Florida into the 21st Century with Alimony Reform and require shared parenting time.

Florida’s current Alimony Laws are archaic and more closely resemble the family and economic structures of the 1950’s than the realities of the many family forms of 2016. SB 668 will bring economic justice and equal opportunity to divorcing husbands and wives as well as enhancing harmony in the post-divorce family by attenuating conflicts over money.

Your state’s Bill (SB 668) is widely supported in your state and allow for a more equal shared parenting component currently missing in family law. The Men’s Rights Group of Arizona believe Family Law should follow sociological research. One of the most consistently and strongly replicated findings in family social science research is that the children of divorce fare best in family forms that maximize the involvement of both parents in the child’s life. The worst developmental outcomes come from single mother families which are supported by current women headed households.

In 2013, Arizona passed the first joint parenting law in the nation and it has been a great success. The Men's Rights Group of Arizona along with many other organizations have followed this new law and it showed children are thriving as compared to mother headed households.

We strongly encourage our members and others who believe in the necessity of such reforms to contact Governor Scott immediately at: www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/ and/or Rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com , and/or 850-717-9337

Respectfully,

Richard Cassalata M.Ed., ABD

Director, Men’s Rights Group of Arizona LLC

Open Letter to Florida Governor Rick Scott!

...by Men's Rights Group of Arizona

Our Open Letter to

Florida Governor Rick Scott

Please Sign Bill 668 For the Children of Florida

Dear Governor Scott,

The Men’s Rights Group of Arizona strongly urge you to sign SB 668. This Bill will bring Florida into the 21st Century with Alimony Reform and require shared parenting time.

Florida’s current Alimony Laws are archaic and more closely resemble the family and economic structures of the 1950’s than the realities of the many family forms of 2016. SB 668 will bring economic justice and equal opportunity to divorcing husbands and wives as well as enhancing harmony in the post-divorce family by attenuating conflicts over money.

Your state’s Bill (SB 668) is widely supported in your state and allow for a more equal shared parenting component currently missing in family law. The Men’s Rights Group of Arizona believe Family Law should follow sociological research. One of the most consistently and strongly replicated findings in family social science research is that the children of divorce fare best in family forms that maximize the involvement of both parents in the child’s life. The worst developmental outcomes come from single mother families which are supported by current women headed households.

In 2013, Arizona passed the first joint parenting law in the nation and it has been a great success. The Men's Rights Group of Arizona along with many other organizations have followed this new law and it showed children are thriving as compared to mother headed households.

We strongly encourage our members and others who believe in the necessity of such reforms to contact Governor Scott immediately at: www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/ and/or Rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com , and/or 850-717-9337

Respectfully,

Richard Cassalata M.Ed., ABD

Director, Men’s Rights Group of Arizona LLC

NO Presumption of a Right to Equal Time-Sharing

Florida Bill Addresses Equal Parenting Time When Parents Separate

Children of divorced parents are better adjusted when mom and dad get equal time with their kids. That is the conclusion and basis of a bill working its way through the Florida Legislature" Florida Legislature that would change the way courts calculate time-sharing when couples call it quits.

causes.com/causes/409526-children-s-rights

"I didn't like it. I didn't think it was right. I didn't think it was fair," said Terrence Bostic. It's the way he felt 28 years ago when the court made, what Bostic felt, was an unfair assumption that his now ex-wife should be awarded primary custody of their daughter.

"Because I thought, 'I was just as good a parent as she was, if not better.'" Three years later, Bostic's ex-wife moved away with their daughter. Three years after that, he went back to court to regain custody.

Now, under a proposed change to Florida's divorce law, judges may have a little leeway when giving divorcing parents anything other than equal time with their kids.

The assumption?

"That it is better for the children to have both parents equally involved in their lives," said Family Law Attorney Peter Farren with the Valrico law firm, Gallo Farren.

Farren posted the proposed change on his Facebook page Wednesday, and spoke with us about the pros and cons such a law could present.

On one hand, he says, it would give parents – often the father – a presumption of a right to equal time with their kids.

"We're definitely in different times now," said Farren, "And these generations of fathers are just as involved, in many cases, with their children."

But critics say in some cases the law will force couples back to court, asking a judge to amend their equal-parenting plan for several possible reasons.

Work schedules. Challenges getting the kids to school.

There are also more serious factors to consider, said Farren. "If there's a psychological issue, or a drug issue, or if one parent is just refusing to cooperate and communicate with the other parent."

The Senate bill’s sponsor provides that judges weighing time share would still be able to use the same 20 criteria they currently have at their disposal to decide what's in the children's interest.

The change, they say, would start with the presumption that an equal 50-50 split is what's best.

"I think you can't get any fairer than that," said Bostic, it would've been a lot easier on me."

The law would apply equally in cases where the parents are not married.

So far, the bill has moved its way through the State Senate, not get making its way to the House.

To see the full text of the proposed law, click here.

Supporters say equal time with parents is what's best for children of divorce.

Source: Bill addresses equal parenting time for divorced couples

View my Flipboard Magazine.

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• Enough is Enough! Florida Family Law Reform Task Force Needed!!
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• Evidence-Based Approaches to Children's Needs
• A Year Without My Daughter Zoraya. Here's to you Judge Valerie Manno-Schurr.
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Dear Media, Government, and Society

Operation Family Law~CPS Reform

 Letter Campaign

In all indications of the talk out of the legislative bodies, 2017 will be the year of reform of the social programs of Child Welfare Divisions. Although funded by the Federal Government, each State and county will have their own policies and procedures drafted around the new legislative actions in 2017. The new bills could be the means for some states to adopt a 'family friendly' policy of helping families to remain together, and some states will cling to their standard practice of seizing kids for federal dollars. The only way to end the incentivized profit gain off children is to end ASFAct. We encourage all writers to demand this end to ASFA. 

In the year of 2017, the group will decide how to restructure our efforts to change the current justice system of Family law/dissolution and custody. As family law in relation to child custody, child support, is a federal justice problem, our need to write legislative bodys will end our refocus will be on addressing the justice system and the avenues available to bring a change, whereas prior change to the Child welfare divisions focused on a social program and policy change and not a justice system change.

And, with 40% of working women out-earning their husbands, women are more and more becoming alimony PAYORS.

FLORIDA’S ALIMONY PAYORS
– ON THE GANGPLANK OR TREADING WATER

As a non-profit organization, Florida Alimony Reform’s lifeboat pulls alimony PAYORS out of treacherous waters by providing education, support and the political platform to stimulate legislative change.

Their mission is to improve Florida’s alimony law memorialized in the 1860’s and slightly tweaked in 2012 – so that both party’s – the potential PAYOR and RECIPIENT of alimony – are equally considered before alimony is awarded and during their lifetime for changes in circumstances.

With a new alimony bill submitted for review to the Florida legislative in September 2015, opposition continually makes alimony a feminist issue – but it seems to be more about who has the most money.

And, with 40% of working women out-earning their husbands, women are more and more becoming alimony PAYORS.

During a recent committee meeting, women testified tearfully about hardships for their children – and while family matters tend to be emotional for men and women, it is important to note that Florida’s Alimony Law has nothing to do with Florida’s Child Support Law.

In addition to increasing the fairness and reducing costs for divorce and alimony proceedings, if passed, the new alimony bill would not be retroactive, and will not result in termination of alimony for senior women, who represent less than 1% of alimony recipients.

The new alimony bill has a lot of support behind it, as Florida’s citizens are PAYORS that must live with the uncertainty of how they can pay – once they no longer can work.

In other words, how the State of Florida should consider changes in their circumstances – for example, when PAYORS are burdened with dramatic drops or complete stops in income, at retirement when social security starts, and when permanent or temporary medical and handicapped conditions arise.

Worse, rarely do the RECIPIENTS changes in circumstances come into play – such as when a RECIPIENT is fully supported by a live-in partner and no longer needs alimony to survive – or when a RECIPIENT is qualified to work but holds off looking for a job because they would lose alimony.

Current law does not afford the PAYOR nor RECIPIENT to plan for the future. If elected officials do not bring some measure of predictability and fairness to the equation, both sides can end up bankrupt when the PAYOR’s income stream ends.

Support Florida Alimony Reform at FixAlimony.com, or call 800-239-0867.

First Husbands Advocacy Group - Florida Alimony and Custody Laws Reform We LOVE and THANK Representative Ritch Workman for all his hard work, determination, and passionate support for Alimony Reform.

This is his speech from the 2015 Legislative Session.

It is powerful, heartfelt, and inspiring. The legislators and the Florida Bar Family Law Section are in agreement about the need for alimony reform. It is long overdue.

On January 12, 2016 the Florida Legislature session begins and we are confident Alimony Reform will finally be a reality. 

There is overwhelming support for Representative Burton's HB 455 and Senator Kelli Stargel's companion SB 668. 

https://youtu.be/9iBlfPVYwIg