UT - New parenting law gives divorced parents equal time with children

Fox13

DRAPER, Utah – A new law is leveling the playing field between divorced parents.

The new law gives a parent who does not have custody of their child equal rights to time with their child.

As of Tuesday, both parents could get to spend equal time with their children.

Advocates say, traditionally, family courts awarded sole custody to one parent usually the mother, about 80  percent of the time.

Under House Bill 35, a judge could grant a non-custodial parent more time with their child.

So that means a child’s midweek visit becomes an overnight visit and a weekend visit to mom or dad’s ends Monday morning, instead of Sunday evening.

Full Story: Fox13

MA - Taking it to the Hill: Child-centered divorce court reform deserves legislative support

Massachusetts leads the nation as one of 17 states proposing child-centered family court reform. Please urge our lawmakers to pass this historic proposal.

The bills H.1207 and S. 834 encourage shared parenting after divorce unless one parent is unfit. Currently, family courts award sole custody to one parent in roughly 80 percent of cases, reducing the other to little more than a visitor in the lives of their children. This seems based on the 1950s family model of breadwinners and homemakers. It is out of line with data on outcomes for children of divorce.

According to federal statistics, the 35 percent of children raised by single parents account for 63 percent of teen suicides, 71 percent of school dropouts and 85 percent of those in prison. Clearly, millions of families suffer under the existing broken system.

Further Reading: Wicked Local Lexington

Virginia - Mother of twins murdered by estranged husband addresses mental health issues

A tragic loss. Is this another case where the Guardian ad litem failed in her role to protect the children?

CBS6 WTRV

Virginia’s mental health system faces a shakeup in wake of the tragic stabbing involving State Senator Creigh Deeds.

Governor McDonnell told WTOP radio on Tuesday morning that he’s making preliminary recommendations for the upcoming two-year budget and will announce his recommendations next week.

Deeds was stabbed multiple times last Tuesday by his 24-year-old son, who Deeds had sought to have committed to a mental health facility just hours earlier, but was denied because the emergency custody timeline ran out.

The family’s painful ordeal, brings back terrible memories for a Hanover County mother, whose three-year-old twin daughters were murdered by their father in January 2012.

Kristi Hooper believes her daughters, Caroline and Madison, would still be alive if the court system had not failed to order an emergency psychiatric evaluation of her estranged husband in time.

Full story and video CBS6 WTRV

In Utah a Grandmother fights for the best interest of her grandson

In Utah there is a young boy whose Grandmother is fighting for his life. This child was taken by the state on June 14th 2010 because the mother had made poor choices in her life. The grandmother of the boy tried to figure out how she could take custody of this boy - she could not afford an attorney. This Grandmother had been raising this boy from birth along with his brother - she had an emotional, physical and financial connection to these brothers.

In 2011 after having focused on the lives of her grandsons she was confronted with a court hearing in February. It was at this time the Judge first brought up the idea of adoption  of one of the brothers. A therapist was ordered to research the matter of whether or not it would be in the best interest of the boy to be separated. The therapist Rachael Jones spoke with everyone that was involved with the boys life at the time. In April 2011 the foster parents who were attempting to adopt the child backed out. There was a new family that was interested in adoption. The grandmother now was only seeing her grandson twice a month for three hours of unsupervised visits. The therapist indicated that it would not be in the best interest of this boy to be adopted and should stay with the family at the court hearing.

The Judge stopped the therapist before she could finish and indicated that the child was going to be adopted. The grandmother in shock because of what she had just heard timidly raised her hand to ask the Judge if she could speak. The Judge barked to her saying "If you think you can change my mind - you are not...... but go ahead." The grandmother pleaded with the judge and the judge thanked the grandmother - the judge then turned her attention to the new foster parents who had only been with the child for less than three weeks and asked if they wanted to adopt. They said yes. In December 2011 there was a finalized adoption hearing.

The grandmother fought the system, the judge and the Guardian ad litem that became involved. Last November the grandmother was told by the courts that it was final - the boy stays with his new foster parents. On May 7, 2013 this grandmother is being given a second chance to bring her grandson back into his family and to be with his brother. Please follow this link for the appeal and follow the trials of this child and grandmother on Facebook.

STATE OF UTAH, in the interest of C.C. and K.H., to read about the appeal.





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