Divorce The Courts From Divorce?

DIVORCE THE COURTS FROM DIVORCE?  WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? 

This article was recently posted by Hennepin County District Judge Bruce Peterson in the Minneapolis, MN Star Tribune.  The following comment from Jennifer Moore is posted here by Tom Moore with her permission.

MN FAMILY COURTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE CHILDREN’S SAKE

Judge Peterson’s comments are disheartening.  The notion that the system is so broken that no amount of reform will result in parents viewing the process as one that obtains the result that is in the best interests of children  is the very reason why the Courts MUST remain involved.  The Courts are the only assurance that children will be attended to properly.

People do opt out of the family court system all the time.  Some people appoint private special masters to decide their entire divorces.  Others appoint parenting consultants to assist in making decisions that courts would otherwise make.  Binding arbitration is frequently used to resolve property disputes.

MINNESOTA CHILD CUSTODY AND CHILD SUPPORT LEGISLATION NEEDS REFORM

My personal opinion is that significant legislative reform may be necessary to reduce the temper of family law litigation. The system needs to separate the financial issues from the “kid” issues in a way that is more meaningful than the mere lip service paid to the ideal in the present version of the system.  The truth is that almost all custody cases are about child support.  Who gets the family home impacts child custody decisions, which impacts child support and Spousal Maintenance Lawyers MN decisions.

And while we are concerned about deadbeat fathers, we rarely concern ourselves with deadbeat mothers—the women who unreasonably limit their ability to support themselves in order to maximize the amount of money they might receive from a Judge in Court.

IN DIVORCE, THE MINNESOTA FAMILY LAW COURTS PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE

The decision to end a family unit is rarely motivated by the best intentions.  It rarely brings out the best in people.  The Courts serve a purpose in ensuring that above all, the end of a family is civil and safe.

About Author

Jennifer graduated from the University of Minnesota cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications. In 2006, Jennifer achieved her life’s dream; owning her own Family Law Attorney MN practices. She practices every day as Divorce attorney MN with the intention of representing her clients’ future.