News Media Covering Family Court

What is a Guardian ad Litem?

May 23, 2014 by Chief Navigator

Question Number One: What is a GAL?

Now that we see how prevalent the misconduct is and how extreme and lasting the damages are, we are developing the dialogue about what to do next.

You have to understand what a Guardian is and what they are supposed to be doing before you can properly review and judge their work, so let’s start here.

The news station reporting on the GAL misconduct and the bad case outcomes in Augusta, Georgia, asked us to explain more about the GAL program in Georgia.

They asked us, “What is a guardian ad litem, and is what we are seeing in Augusta the norm?”

We are opening the discussion for professionals and parents to work together to help improve this situation. The Augusta Chronicle ran a great summary of the GAL program, so please read that and let’s revisit how to improve this system so that we can avoid more of the same, and improve outcomes for children and families.

Please also connect with us via LinkedIn, and professionals may join the Counsel for Change group to contribute privately as we work on answering and correcting what is is wrong.

Help Break the Silence about GAL misconduct that has been leading to harm to children and good parents.

Call to Action: Investigate Child Custody Cases

May 6, 2014 by Chief Navigator

Now we know… So, what is the next step?

Professional misconduct is leading to bad outcomes on child custody cases.

More questions are coming about the appointments and management of certain professionals on these cases.

Even bigger questions are being asked about whether or not child custody cases were “fixed” and whether good parents and children were harmed as a result.

Our attention this week is on a trial that should not be happening. The child custody experts in this Augusta case decided to restrict and punish an innocent parent, he fought back by doing what he believed was the right thing – using our Court system – and is now facing a jury trial on false allegations. It is clear the Court tends to convict him and put him away so that he and his daughter cannot recover from this.

Please ask how this case relates to the news stories about the misconduct of the GAL operating in this same district who has been guiding case outcomes according to what served his needs.

Specific to the now resigned former GAL and local magistrate judge Doug Nelson, help us ask, “Who knew what and when did they know it?” That question is asked in all seriousness, as it is becoming apparent that court officials stood by as this abuse occurred.

Thanks to this report in Augusta on a growing number of cases, the justification for opening up these cases is clear. http://www.wfxg.com/story/25437114/advocacy-group-calls-for-re-opening-of-custody-cases

Please keep in mind that the women in these news reports, the ones harassed, manipulated and intimidated by this GAL, are not the only ones to lose in these situations and they are not the only ones injured in the underlying cases.

Some women have lost their children because they would not comply with the demands for sexual favors. These cases need to be reopened and children returned to the mothers they miss and need. Other women have been traumatized in different ways, which includes some being threatened with jail or going to jail when they tried to fight back for their children.

Good fathers have also been harmed because certain officials stood by while cases were mismanaged and evidence ignored that would have allowed these fathers to have better outcomes, and a better life with their children.

This story and these issues are affecting everyone. Including the father who is on trial in the Augusta area this week – for what started as FALSE allegations around one of these custody cases in this court district. Just like the court officials knew that Doug Nelson was causing injury to mothers and to their child custody cases, related officials and custody experts knew that this father is innocent and that evidence and testimony that could exonerate him is being disregarded.

Where there is smoke there is fire…and this case has overlapping issues, meaning this case needs to be halted and this father exonerated due to the professional misconduct involved.

Get involved, and tells these professionals and court officials and local law enforcement that children, parents and grandparents deserve better than this.

What will it take to start revisiting the rulings made based on custody reports by this GAL and his associates in Augusta, Georgia?

WFXG FOX54 Augusta – Your News One Hour Earlier

Filed Under: Alienation of Parents & Children, Augusta News, Child Custody, Children as Pawns, Divorce Corp., Evolving Solutions: Family Law, Family Court Reform, Family Court Review, Green Light, Jailed for Fighting for Children, Need for Green, News Media Covering Family Court, Parents Rights, Professional Misconduct, Wrongful Imprisonment Tagged With: Augusta, Augusta News, Burke County Superior Court, Columbia County Superior Court, Divorce Attorneys, Doug Nelson Augusta GAL, Family Law Georgia, GAL, Georgia Family Court, Green Light Augusta, Guardian ad litem, Janet Weinberger GAL, My Advocate Center, Parents Bullied by GAL, Richmond County Superior Court

Protected: Georgia Family Court News: Fulton County, Judge Lane

March 8, 2014 by Chief Navigator

Filed Under: Atlanta News, Case Studies & Examples, Child Custody, Children as Pawns, Family Court Reform, Family Court Review, News Media Covering Family Court, Professional Misconduct

Social Media on Divorce Corp.

January 24, 2014 by Chief Navigator

Sometimes people just make sense, including bloggers!

Diana Mercer, co-author of Divorce Works, shared this perfect example on HuffPost: Link to full article here.

“You don’t have to opt into the litigation system. You don’t have to roll the dice on the judge you’re assigned to, the custody evaluator appointed, and having to pay fees upon fees. You can opt out. And it’s not difficult to opt out. There are lots of choices.

But divorcing people are scared. They’re scared of the future, of the unknown, of the things that their spouse might do.

What most don’t realize is that they really have nothing to fear but fear itself (and maybe litigation lawyers). When a gladiator lawyer says,“I’ll protect you”, the temptation is to believe it. And while I still believe most lawyers really mean that, the truth is that divorce is a business, and lawyers can’t keep their offices open when clients can’t pay. And almost every client runs out of money eventually. Even the wealthy McCourts ended up in bankruptcy after their LA Dodgers-centered divorce fight.”

Another excerpt:

“I finally saw Divorce Corp. Finally. After much banter on Facebook, a barrage of emails, aNew York Times article, and the Huffington Post’s own Paul Raeburn’s review of the film, I finally saw what all the fuss is about.

Finally someone is shaking the snow globe.

Is everything in Divorce Corp. indicative of how litigation works in every case? Of course not. But it does illustrate that when you go to court you take your chances. Are the judges biased? Are they corrupt? Probably not, but you never know. Is your child custody evaluator an extortionist? Probably not, but maybe. And you won’t find out until after the fact.“

Filed Under: Be Your Own Best Advocate, Divorce Corp., Divorce Help, Evolving Solutions: Family Law, Family Court Reform, Family Court Review, News Media Covering Family Court, Parents Rights Tagged With: Diana Mercer, Divorce Corp, Divorce Works, Huffington Post, My Advocate Center, Solutions to Family Court