Three states have governors who are aware of today’s issues enough to declare April 25th INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL ALIENATION AWARENESS DAY.

Unfortunate for California parents, Assembly Member Ira Ruskin has authored AB 612, which includes the language:

Controversial, nonscientific labels, such as parental alienation syndrome, parental alienation, or alienated child, are specifically excluded as allowable diagnoses and for court use.

Please take the following action:

Fax letters of opposition to:

Assembly Member Ira Ruskin: 916-319-2121.
Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Dave Jones: 916-319-2109

~!~

APRIL 25TH

INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL ALIENATION AWARENESS DAY

~!~

Parental Alienation Workshop 2007

Featuring Dr. Stephen Ceci, Dr. Randy Rand, Dr. Randy Kolin, Dr. Stephen Herman, David Carico, Charles Jamieson, and Harvey Shapiro.

April 14th 8:30am - 5pm

April 15th 9am - 5pm

Manatee Convention Center, Palmetto, FL

~!~

Pennsylvania Judge candidates tackle child-custody issues

Each of the five candidates for Centre County judge is seeking both the Republican and Democratic nominations in the May 15 primary election. The Centre Daily Times asked the candidates

How can child custody litigation be streamlined or improved in order to reduce the harsh impact on families and better address the best interest of the children subject to these actions?

Jonathan Grine

“A hearing in front of the court is inherently an adversarial process. As a result, I would be a proponent of implementing mandatory mediation with skilled and neutral mediators prior to the occurrence of a custody hearing. I believe that not only is mediation in these circumstances an opportunity for a less invasive way than litigation to solve the issues that arise in child custody, but mediation also has the opportunity to bring families together for what is in the best interests of their children rather than breaking them apart through a bitter court dispute.

“Currently, experienced attorneys in the Centre County domestic bar are weighing in on the idea of mandatory mediation. I believe that the successful implementation of mandatory mediation in the Centre County domestic practice for child custody will not only benefit the children subject to custody actions but also will help streamline and manage the court’s domestic caseload.”

Steve Lachman

“In custody litigation, the court’s guiding light is the promotion of the best interests of the child. However, the courts are caught in the middle of two struggles. Where a child has been classified as a dependent child because of abuse, neglect, or other family problem, there is a tension between parental rights and the commonwealth’s interest in protecting the best interest of the child. In the other case, the courts are the intermediary between competing parents in a divorce action. Children are at risk of being victims in both scenarios. While delay in resolving custody may leave children in a disruptive limbo, we should not rush the process so as to wrongfully jeopardize parental rights.

“The courts can take positive actions to improve the process. In both divorce and dependency scenarios, increased use of guardians ad litem can assure the interest of the child is represented. In divorces, mediation may help forge common ground between the parents. For children adjudicated dependent under the Juvenile Act, we should commit sufficient resources to not only enable Children and Youth Services to protect children and monitor parents, but to also effectively educate parents so that they may regain full custody. Children and Youth Services can aid the courts by providing clear markers for the court to gauge whether parents are fit or are likely to become so.”

Bruce Manchester

“A) Immediate custody conference requiring that the parties outline, in written detail, those areas where there is no agreement; proposed written resolutions followed by an immediate interim custody order. If the interim order is not complied with and the court is notified by either party, schedule a prompt hearing to modify the interim order if need be. If the parties are in volitional non-compliance with the interim order(s) immediate sanction(s) imposed on the offending parties.

“b) Require the parties to propose a final custody agreement by a date certain and set court time for that date to complete a comprehensive custody hearing if there is no agreement.

“c) The court would then enter a final custody order.

“d) The court would then schedule a three-month follow-up conference with the parties to determine compliance.

“e) Custody and compliance matters would be fast-tracked.”

Pamela Ruest

“In child custody cases, the legal standard that a judge must apply is what is in the best interest of the child. In my experience, judges often have conflicting testimony from the parents and their family and friends as evidence, which can result in completely contradictory statements. The child is often placed in the middle of the situation, as the parents fight for what they want rather than what is best for the child. One way to improve child custody cases is to require the involvement of a therapist specifically trained in child custody matters. This specialist would meet with the parents and child to analyze the situation and help determine the child’s best interest. In some situations, the therapist could resolve the case without the necessity of litigation, which benefits everyone involved. In those cases where litigation is still necessary, the therapist can report to and aid the judge in assessing the situation and determining what is best for the child.

“One possibility to streamline child custody litigation is to establish a family court where one or two judges hear these matters on a regular basis. A family court could provide consistency and predictability in cases and decisions.”

Steve Sloane

“I think that first and foremost, any system that discourages parents from litigating for custody, as opposed to exploring less traumatic ways to resolve their disputes, should be encouraged. This is one area of the law where the adversarial system of justice may not be what is in everyone’s best interests. These are ‘our kids’ we’re talking about; not collateral issues or items on a checklist that need to be sorted out when adults seek to dissolve their relationships. As a parent of two school-aged children, I know firsthand how precious children are and what a blessing it is to have them. As a strong and experienced prosecutor, I know how ill-suited the conventional adversarial system of litigation is when it comes to deciding what’s best for our kids.

“In Pennsylvania, we have something called ‘The Children’s Bill of Rights.’ Among them are notions such as children have … the right not to be asked to ‘choose sides’ between parents … the right to love and have a relationship with both parents without being made to feel guilty … the right to be treated as a person and not as a pawn, possession or a negotiating chip … I encourage every parent to take a look at these sometime … They’re a great start.”

~!~

I’m not sure what to make of this bill…but the rest of the article sure is biased.

Bill helps judges to react when parents threaten to abduct kids

A federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention study concluded 78 percent of child abductions in 1999, the latest year available, were by a parent or family member…

The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws crafted [SB 18] last year with the hope that all states would eventually enact it.

“It would lead to more uniform decisions by states when these matters arise,” said John Sebert, executive director of the conference. “This is trying to establish an appropriate way to deal quickly with a risk that a child will be abducted and taken out of a jurisdiction.”

[C] ourts could consider such factors as a parent threatening to abduct a child, selling a house, refusing to follow child custody orders, having ties to another state or country, applying for a passport and engaging in domestic violence. The bill also gives courts the flexibility to act in a child’s best interest, said Judge Anthony Powell, who heads the Sedgwick County District Court’s family law department.

It spells out what a judge could do, such as impose travel restrictions, prohibit the removal of a child from Kansas, order a child returned to the state and put restrictions on custody or visitation. A judge also could issue a warrant, as opposed to a court order, to require an abducting parent to return the child.

“The police tend to respond better to warrants,” Powell said. “Sometimes when parties flash a court order to police officers, sometimes they respond to it and sometimes they don’t. A warrant brings greater urgency to it.”

Aside from Kansas, legislatures in Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Utah are considering the bill, and it has been enacted in Nebraska and South Dakota.

~!~

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
for a dissertation on family mediation

~!~

Fathers group to hold meeting in Devon

By Jean Tilley

FATHERS 4 Justice are inviting parents and grandparents… Founder Matt O’Connor will announce details of a new campaign…on Thursday, March 29 alongside South West Coordinator’s Richard Adams, Nigel Ace and Jolly Stanesby.

~!~

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Three states have governors who are aware of today’s issues enough to declare April 25th INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL ALIENATION AWARENESS DAY.

Unfortunate for California parents, Assembly Member Ira Ruskin has authored AB 612, which includes the language:

Controversial, nonscientific labels, such as parental alienation syndrome, parental alienation, or alienated child, are specifically excluded as allowable diagnoses and for court use.

Please take the following action:

Fax letters of opposition to:

Assembly Member Ira Ruskin: 916-319-2121.
Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Dave Jones: 916-319-2109

~!~

APRIL 25TH

INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL ALIENATION AWARENESS DAY

~!~

Parental Alienation Workshop 2007

Featuring Dr. Stephen Ceci, Dr. Randy Rand, Dr. Randy Kolin, Dr. Stephen Herman, David Carico, Charles Jamieson, and Harvey Shapiro.

April 14th 8:30am - 5pm

April 15th 9am - 5pm

Manatee Convention Center, Palmetto, FL

~!~

Pennsylvania Judge candidates tackle child-custody issues

Each of the five candidates for Centre County judge is seeking both the Republican and Democratic nominations in the May 15 primary election. The Centre Daily Times asked the candidates

How can child custody litigation be streamlined or improved in order to reduce the harsh impact on families and better address the best interest of the children subject to these actions?

Jonathan Grine

“A hearing in front of the court is inherently an adversarial process. As a result, I would be a proponent of implementing mandatory mediation with skilled and neutral mediators prior to the occurrence of a custody hearing. I believe that not only is mediation in these circumstances an opportunity for a less invasive way than litigation to solve the issues that arise in child custody, but mediation also has the opportunity to bring families together for what is in the best interests of their children rather than breaking them apart through a bitter court dispute.

“Currently, experienced attorneys in the Centre County domestic bar are weighing in on the idea of mandatory mediation. I believe that the successful implementation of mandatory mediation in the Centre County domestic practice for child custody will not only benefit the children subject to custody actions but also will help streamline and manage the court’s domestic caseload.”

Steve Lachman

“In custody litigation, the court’s guiding light is the promotion of the best interests of the child. However, the courts are caught in the middle of two struggles. Where a child has been classified as a dependent child because of abuse, neglect, or other family problem, there is a tension between parental rights and the commonwealth’s interest in protecting the best interest of the child. In the other case, the courts are the intermediary between competing parents in a divorce action. Children are at risk of being victims in both scenarios. While delay in resolving custody may leave children in a disruptive limbo, we should not rush the process so as to wrongfully jeopardize parental rights.

“The courts can take positive actions to improve the process. In both divorce and dependency scenarios, increased use of guardians ad litem can assure the interest of the child is represented. In divorces, mediation may help forge common ground between the parents. For children adjudicated dependent under the Juvenile Act, we should commit sufficient resources to not only enable Children and Youth Services to protect children and monitor parents, but to also effectively educate parents so that they may regain full custody. Children and Youth Services can aid the courts by providing clear markers for the court to gauge whether parents are fit or are likely to become so.”

Bruce Manchester

“A) Immediate custody conference requiring that the parties outline, in written detail, those areas where there is no agreement; proposed written resolutions followed by an immediate interim custody order. If the interim order is not complied with and the court is notified by either party, schedule a prompt hearing to modify the interim order if need be. If the parties are in volitional non-compliance with the interim order(s) immediate sanction(s) imposed on the offending parties.

“b) Require the parties to propose a final custody agreement by a date certain and set court time for that date to complete a comprehensive custody hearing if there is no agreement.

“c) The court would then enter a final custody order.

“d) The court would then schedule a three-month follow-up conference with the parties to determine compliance.

“e) Custody and compliance matters would be fast-tracked.”

Pamela Ruest

“In child custody cases, the legal standard that a judge must apply is what is in the best interest of the child. In my experience, judges often have conflicting testimony from the parents and their family and friends as evidence, which can result in completely contradictory statements. The child is often placed in the middle of the situation, as the parents fight for what they want rather than what is best for the child. One way to improve child custody cases is to require the involvement of a therapist specifically trained in child custody matters. This specialist would meet with the parents and child to analyze the situation and help determine the child’s best interest. In some situations, the therapist could resolve the case without the necessity of litigation, which benefits everyone involved. In those cases where litigation is still necessary, the therapist can report to and aid the judge in assessing the situation and determining what is best for the child.

“One possibility to streamline child custody litigation is to establish a family court where one or two judges hear these matters on a regular basis. A family court could provide consistency and predictability in cases and decisions.”

Steve Sloane

“I think that first and foremost, any system that discourages parents from litigating for custody, as opposed to exploring less traumatic ways to resolve their disputes, should be encouraged. This is one area of the law where the adversarial system of justice may not be what is in everyone’s best interests. These are ‘our kids’ we’re talking about; not collateral issues or items on a checklist that need to be sorted out when adults seek to dissolve their relationships. As a parent of two school-aged children, I know firsthand how precious children are and what a blessing it is to have them. As a strong and experienced prosecutor, I know how ill-suited the conventional adversarial system of litigation is when it comes to deciding what’s best for our kids.

“In Pennsylvania, we have something called ‘The Children’s Bill of Rights.’ Among them are notions such as children have … the right not to be asked to ‘choose sides’ between parents … the right to love and have a relationship with both parents without being made to feel guilty … the right to be treated as a person and not as a pawn, possession or a negotiating chip … I encourage every parent to take a look at these sometime … They’re a great start.”

~!~

I’m not sure what to make of this bill…but the rest of the article sure is biased.

Bill helps judges to react when parents threaten to abduct kids

A federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention study concluded 78 percent of child abductions in 1999, the latest year available, were by a parent or family member…

The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws crafted [SB 18] last year with the hope that all states would eventually enact it.

“It would lead to more uniform decisions by states when these matters arise,” said John Sebert, executive director of the conference. “This is trying to establish an appropriate way to deal quickly with a risk that a child will be abducted and taken out of a jurisdiction.”

[C] ourts could consider such factors as a parent threatening to abduct a child, selling a house, refusing to follow child custody orders, having ties to another state or country, applying for a passport and engaging in domestic violence. The bill also gives courts the flexibility to act in a child’s best interest, said Judge Anthony Powell, who heads the Sedgwick County District Court’s family law department.

It spells out what a judge could do, such as impose travel restrictions, prohibit the removal of a child from Kansas, order a child returned to the state and put restrictions on custody or visitation. A judge also could issue a warrant, as opposed to a court order, to require an abducting parent to return the child.

“The police tend to respond better to warrants,” Powell said. “Sometimes when parties flash a court order to police officers, sometimes they respond to it and sometimes they don’t. A warrant brings greater urgency to it.”

Aside from Kansas, legislatures in Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Utah are considering the bill, and it has been enacted in Nebraska and South Dakota.

~!~

PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
for a dissertation on family mediation

~!~

Fathers group to hold meeting in Devon

By Jean Tilley

FATHERS 4 Justice are inviting parents and grandparents… Founder Matt O’Connor will announce details of a new campaign…on Thursday, March 29 alongside South West Coordinator’s Richard Adams, Nigel Ace and Jolly Stanesby.

~!~

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Rate this post:

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