With recent events forcing several of my friends, all fathers and fellow advocates for parental rights, back to court to again attempt to right the wrongs dealt to us by Michigan's family law court system, I am reminded of the last time I was forced there.....
A little over two years ago, my oldest daughter had to repeat Kindergarten. I managed to change my hours at my employer, and filed a motion to increase my time with my daughters.
The initial hearing was in front of the Court Referee, where I was blamed for my daughter failing Kindergarten, because I was "not involved enough".
Try being involved enough while only seeing your children every-other weekend and four hours one day a week.
A Michigan family law court referee actually admonished a loving, caring, fit, and able father for a child failing a grade BECAUSE OF THEIR COURT ORDER limiting my time with my children.
The referee did not grant my motion, so I objected, and got in front of the judge, a COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER.
Yes, I did manage to have the motion granted, despite the furious protests from my ex-wife and her attorney.
Still, I ask, WHY is this necessary?
The Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution PREVENTS and PROHIBITS any state from doing this to any American citizen.
Still, here they are, and they are still doing it. They will do it again TODAY. They will do it again TOMORROW. They will do it again THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, and THE DAY AFTER THAT.
Still, American media continues to cry out against "deadbeat dads", and "angry fathers". They continue to ignore the pleas of thousands of parents, showing our judiciary and bureaucrats the truth and the facts of Michigan's family law court system.
And, again, tomorrow, it will be BACK TO COURT again for another loving, caring, fit and able father, to attempt to right another wrong inflicted upon a family by our family law court system.
Again, people ask WHY?
The bureaucrats and judges just stare back, and dream of all the millions of dollars of federal incentives they will continue to claim under Title IV-D. Our constitutional and fundamental rights? They don't matter!
The Friend of the Court Conciliators will again, TOMORROW, declare more parents as "non-custodial" so they can start the funds rolling in from THAT case too, and it goes on, and on, and on.....
And again, TOMORROW, another father will have to pay out hundreds of dollars for motions, attorneys, court costs, and be admonished by a referee or a judge for not being involved enough.....
And, TODAY, Michigan's bureaucrats still choose to ignore and stall legislation that will again spell out the rights that we parents SHOULD be allowed to enjoy.
The Equal Parenting Bill, House Bill 4564, and House Joint Resolution NN, the "Parental Rights" Constitutional Amendment both sit in limbo......
Our bureaucrats have NO intention of passing these issues.
But, they will happily blame any non-custodial parent for "not being involved enough" with their children.
A Father Of Two.
This is so very sad, more so how common it happens. We want to go back to court but it's really hard for us that he works about 3 hours away from his daughter and his ex was able to make the custody agreement so that she could pretty much control him from ever having real time with his daughter. We also can't afford to go to court and nobody we previously worked with regarding the case will help us, we'd have to start all over again.
Posted by: Robin | October 02, 2008 at 11:14 AM