From the eyes of a child...

...who saw this happen to my Father, just know. You are in our hearts, forever and always.

The Fathers' Rights Movement

Amber Dawn ~

I know I can never fully fathom what my Father went through, let alone the pain that is in all of your hearts, after being separated from your children - it's absolutely devastating, and sickening that mothers can turn so manipulative and mean, and cause so much pain, using children as a manipulation tactic against you.

I know even after all of my Father's rights were taken away (literally, from weekend visits, to supervised visits) because my Mother, like many of your ex's lied to the court system, and completely eradicated any rights he did have.

My father once fought to the extremity to just even see us, call us, talk to us for five minutes on the phone, and it makes me so sad to know how much time had been wasted, not being able to even connect with my Father.

With that being said there is hope, and this is what this comment was about.

I know usually it does not come granted through the court system, since it's completely biased, and one sided, but there is hope. Never give up, because your children, everyday, think about you. Miss you, love you, and you are in their hearts and you will forever have a place there, there is nothing in this world that could replace you, you are planted there, like a tree, with roots of love that will never be eradicated by any court system, any manipulative mother, any lies, distance or time.

Higher Destiny

This is her Grand Daughter Zoraya

We are born for a higher destiny than that of earth, there is a realm where the rainbow never fades, where the stars will be spread before us like islands that slumber on the oceans, and where the beings that pass before us like shadows will stay in our presence forever.

In remembrance of my mom.

October 24, 1936 ~ October 3, 2016

TAKE ACTION NOW Demand Congressional Oversight Hearings on Family Court's Child Custody Practices

CHILD ABUSE FROM THE BENCH

• By: Geoffrey Cole
• Target: The governor of the State of Florida, Miami, FL

All of us at one time or another find ourselves in front of the family court. THE FAMILY COURT in Dade County is abusing children; either by ignoring their cries, as in this case, or by appointing Guardians that take money , are personal friends of the Judges and who just want a pay day.

WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? These people believe they are protected by the law, no one can stop them and they are G-d's. Well, we have given them this power...WE VOTED THEM INTO OFFICE. PLEASE HELP STOP CHILDREN ABUSE IN THE DADE COUNTY FAMILY COURT. SIGN OUR PETITION AND ASK THE Govenor office to Investiage Judge Scott Bernstein and Dr. Miguel Firpi.  

Demand Congressional Oversight Hearings on Family Court's Child Custody Practices

• By: Donna Kuge
• Target: President Barack Obama

There is a cover-up occurring in another powerful, venerated, institution, which in many ways mirrors the practices that facilitated the Catholic Church child abuse scandal. For decades, in Family Courts across the nation, women who have tried to protect their children from an abusive father have been attacked and battered by a ruthless system which dismisses or ignores physical abuse, verbal threats, and even documented criminal histories of fathers in a obsessive effort to attain their stated goal - joint custody at all costs. Money too, fuels the atrocities in the courts.

This isn't about good fathers, it’s about the money used to facilitate abusive men. Father's Rights groups (often fronts for male supremacists and abusive men who want to control their families or strike back at the mothers) have fought vehemently to cement shared custody as the default mandate in Family Courts and although their agenda seems reasonable and their image as good, fit fathers benevolent, it belies an ugly essence of hatred, misogyny, and revenge.

These cases are often euphemistically described in the media as "high-conflict," but the reality is that the father is often abusive, controlling, and dangerous, something that Family Court refuses to acknowledge as they push for shared custody.

Endemic legislative policies and procedures in Family Courts endanger and destroy children's lives, and in the worst cases lead to their murders. Family Courts operate with impunity and no oversight, disregarding existing laws designed to protect victims of domestic or child abuse. Institutionalized policies and doctrines countenance and enable the perpetrators while the system covers up illegal rulings and criminal conspiracy by imposing gag orders, fines, threats of loss of custody time, or jail time on women and their children and serve to justify enforced, continued contact with the abuser.

The sensational cases that are covered in the media, where abusive fathers fight for custody and obtain custody then shoot, stab, beat, strangle, drown, throw the children off bridges or high rises, burn them to death, or “merely” rape, sodomize or otherwise physically abuse their children (two out of thousands of examples are, "Killer wins custody of children after 10 years in prison; guardian fights decision," and "Slaying Suspect's Wife Warned of Risk to Children" , are seen as anomalies and unavoidable atrocities, but in reality it is the fundamental flaws in the institution, the systemic practices and policies, and the endemic graft of complicit cottage industries that result in the murders, suicides, and continued abuse of children.

Just as Fathers Shanley, Porter, and Geoghan were seen as aberrations ("bad apples") in the Catholic Church scandal rather than manifestations of a debased system, the media does not link the vast numbers of cases which follow the same identical pattern to the individual cases covered in the stories, thereby unmasking an appalling system that is awarding rapists, registered sex-offenders, domestic violence abusers, drug addicts, and even convicted murderers joint or sole custody of their children. These cases are symptomatic of the underlying dysfunctional and corrupt processes of all Family Courts in every state in this country (and the many other places around the world). 

There are many highly esteemed authorities who have correctly identified the Family Court “epidemic of judicial abuse” and extortion by court assigned experts, all operating without accountability. Congressmen John Conyers, Jim Costa, and Ted Poe have hosted Congressional Briefings on this issue. Former Attorney General Eric Holder stated at the National Summit on the Intersection of Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment on June 2009, “Why are mothers who are the victims of domestic violence losing custody of their children to the courts…?”

Family Court ~ A Bizarre System Encourages Parents To Use Disturbing Tactics

With Steven Sumner Discussing

Bullied to Death:

Chris Mackney's Kafkaesque Divorce

• Interview about Bullied to Death: Chris Mackney's Kafkaesque Divorce on Mynd Talk

• Tsimhoni Custody Case Deteriorates

• Tomasello’s custody nightmare continues

• William Neil Shelton’s very ugly divorce takes a new turn

• The Kafkaesque nightmare of family court

• AVFM News and Activism with Paul Elam – Michael Volpe on Chris Mackney

• The Systemic Bias of the New Jersey Family Court System

Conservatives aren't just fighting same-sex marriage; They’re also trying to stop divorce?!

For years, social conservatives have been fighting to prevent certain people from getting married. But they’re waging a parallel battle, too: Trying to keep married couples together.

In cooperation with the Family Research Council and the National Organization for Marriage, socially conservative politicians have been quietly trying to make it harder for couples to get divorced. In recent years, lawmakers in more than a dozen states have introduced bills imposing longer waiting periods before a divorce is granted, mandating counseling courses or limiting the reasons a couple can formally split. 

States such as Arizona, Louisiana and Utah have already passed such laws, while others such as Oklahoma and Alabama are moving to do so.

If divorces are tougher to obtain, social conservatives argue, fewer marriages will end. And having more married couples is not just desirable in its own right but is a social good, they say. During his presidential campaign, former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) emphasized finishing high school and getting married as cures for poverty. “If you do those two things, you will be successful economically,” he declared at a 2011 event in Iowa.

A legislative movement against divorce may seem like a non-starter in a country where half of married couples avail themselves of this right, but as with legal challenges to Obamacare and the rise of the tea party movement, today’s fringe idea can quickly become tomorrow’s mainstream conservatism.

Divorce has long been a cultural touchstone in America. Social conservatives regularly advocate a return to a more traditional system of divorce — namely that it be extraordinarily difficult to get. For example, the only way an Alabamian could get a divorce under the state’s original 1819 constitution: “No decree for such divorce shall have effect until the same shall be sanctioned by two thirds of both Houses of the General Assembly.” Even a battered wife — who, of course, couldn’t vote — would have to petition her all-male state legislature and get supermajority approval before being freed from matrimony.

For most of American history, to obtain a divorce, one party had to prove to a judge that the other party was at fault, meaning he or she had committed certain grievous acts that irreparably harmed the marriage, such as adultery or being convicted of a felony. Emotional or physical abuse wasn’t always enough; even adultery or abandonment could be insufficient if a spouse reluctant to get divorced convinced a judge that his or her partner was similarly culpable. And as historian Glenda Riley showed in her 1991 book “Divorce: An American Tradition,” loveless couples often found creative ways to persuade judges to end their marriages: As recently as the 1950s, some couples would stage a bust, complete with hotel room, “mistress,” photographer and private detective who would testify in court about the husband’s (or wife’s) supposed illicit deeds.

This system began to crumble during the 1960s. In 1969, California became the first state to legalize no-fault divorces — permitting divorce without requiring proof of wrongdoing such as adultery — in the Family Law Act, signed by Gov. Ronald Reagan. Within a decade, 45 other states had joined California. By 1985, 49 states had legalized no-fault divorce; New York did just four years ago.

No-fault divorce has been a success. A 2003 Stanford University study detailed the benefits in states that had legalized such divorces: Domestic violence dropped by a third in just 10 years, the number of husbands convicted of murdering their wives fell by 10 percent, and the number of women committing suicide declined between 11 and 19 percent. A recent report from Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress found that only 28 percent of divorced women said they wished they’d stayed married.

Presumption of equal time-sharing by both parents

Florida House of Representatives  Family Law

Nicholas' Law ~ Affording visitation rights to non-custodial extended family members, particularly aunts and uncles. If you would like to support me and other colleagues in the fight for these rights, you can sign the petition here:

General Bill by Lee  ~

Family Law: Requiring a court to consider certain alimony factors and make specific written findings of fact after making specified determinations; requiring a court to make specified findings before ruling on a request for alimony; creating a presumption that approximately equal time-sharing by both parents is in the best interest of the child; providing that a party may pursue an immediate modification of alimony in certain circumstances; providing that a collaborative law process commences when the parties enter into a collaborative law participation agreement, etc.

Effective Date: Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2016

Last Event: 09/17/15 S Referred to Judiciary; Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice; Appropriations on Thursday, September 17, 2015 1:54 PM

How do I protect my kids from my ex turning them against me?

From Temporary or Trial Arrangement as Stay at Home Parent, to Primary Caregiver Designated at Trial

Basics of Child Custody/Timesharing in Florida

At some point, when pondering divorce, parents worry about how child custody /timesharing arrangements will get decided. Florida's laws regarding child custody / timesharing focus on the rights and best interest of children. That means under reasonable circumstances, divorcing parents in Jupiter, Delray or Wellington can expect to receive plenty of quality time with their kids.

Florida courts use the term "Time-Sharing" as the designation of visitation/contact. According to About.com's Single Parent pages, Time-Sharing is  "a type of visitation where one parent is awarded majority timesharing of a child while the other parent is awarded generous visitation."

Physical custody in some states means the primary residence of the child or children.

Debrina Washington, author of the About.com article says that "best interest of the child" guides judges to review parental dynamics. 

They look at mom and dad's attitudes towards positively supporting the child's relationship with the other parent, their intention to remain levelheaded when real life changes occur, their desire to place the child's needs first, and their ability to be involved in the child's school or other activities.

Add to that the stability of each parent's home, his or her physical and mental health, and any history of child abuse and the court can make a reasonable assessment for custody sharing.

Florida Statute § 61.13 outlines the 24 best interest factors that Florida judges consider in divorce cases.

Once the timesharing arrangements are prescribed by a judge, it takes "substantial, material, or unanticipated change in circumstances" to have the order modified. This must be legally shown by the modifying parent and must continue to uphold the interest of the child.

In divorce, time with children becomes more precious. Understanding Florida's laws and the rights of children to be with both parents is important. To get assistance with child custody, contact an attorney board certified in marital and family law in your area.

"Fathers targeted and undermined by family court's process"

FATHERS WHO DO THE RIGHT THING

We believe that if we “take the high road” and “do the right thing” by other family members, that the Justice system will recognize that when considering motions and making rulings.  We believe we will be able to get a fair outcome as good parents, and that we will be allowed to provide for and protect our children.

If we are present in our kids’ lives, contributing and working to balance many challenges, we should be recognized for our value, and supported in our roles.

We believe that the professionals will factor in the evidence and truth of our lives, and use everything in their power – within what our laws allow – to help us help our children.

Large numbers of fathers have found that NOT to be the case.

We are alarmed at the number of pending cases in the Atlanta area involving the use of false allegations against good parents.  The fathers we are getting to know are revealing that their attorneys have the evidence needed to defend them and to correct the situation, or to avoid it to begin with, but for some reason are not pursuing balance for these dads.

But guess what?  False allegations are not just something that is used against fathers, which is what we hear so often.  Mothers are being falsely accused as well:  of abusing children, of being violent, and of “alienating” their children when the facts show that it is the other parent – with the help of certain custody experts and attorneys – who is behaving badly.  

It is simply more profitable for select professionals to introduce and push false allegations. It doesn’t matter to them which parent gets hurt, or worse, that the kids are suffering in all of these cases.  Damaging children this way ensures future litigation, and makes it easier for these professionals to collect more in fees from the current case.  A good parent falsely accused will be forced to leverage everything they have, including assets from other family members, to deal with the false allegations and to help their children cope.

My Advocate Center does publish much on damages to children, where mothers are the targeted or damaged parent, but the reality is this:

• Fathers who are good to their children & who want to do the right thing are JUST as likely to be targeted and undermined by this process – by certain professionals – as are mothers.
• We serve as many fathers as we do mothers, because our mission is about helping children access the best that BOTH parents have to offer.
• Regardless of whether the mother or the father is put at a disadvantage & penalized for standing up for their kids and their rights, the kids are always harmed.
• False allegations are now commonly enabled, and used by certain attorneys and custody experts to increase their profits, and more and more fathers are disadvantaged and damaged this way.
• This is something that men often do not see coming.  Once they realize what is happening, it is too late, but no one fore-warned them how to protect against it.
• “Dysfunctional” comes in all shapes and sizes, as does vindictiveness, addiction & the ill-natured use of children as pawns.  We work to help good parents overcome challenges presented in high-conflict situations, and that includes helping good men stay in the lives of their children.

Case studies will be published showing how too many fathers are being set up to fail in child custody disputes.  Our case studies will also dispel some myths about which parent is likely to lose the most.

Our Executive Director, Deb Beacham, spoke on this in January and will enlist more professionals and parents in the debate starting this Spring.  

Dr. Drew explains the need to focus on family court: National premiere, January 9th, Atlanta, Georgia.  Join Deb Beacham & other experts to help solve these issues.