The 2008 Georgia legislative session is right around the corner!Click here for a links the House and Senate pre-filed legislation. Also, the Child Support Commission had their first meeting, December 6th. Their next meeting is scheduled for January 10.We will post the time and the room location at the Georgia Capitol as soon as it [...]

Senate Bill 461 - Provide Schools with certain provisions regarding bullying.Status: House Education Committee - waiting on hearingHouse Bill 540 - Domestic relations; child support; provisionsStatus: House Judiciary Committee Favorably ReportedHouse Bill 158 - Parent and child; legitimation; clarify methods; change provisionsStatus: Senate Judy Committee

Men’s News Daily13 December 2007Mom Commits Welfare Fraud but It’s Dad Who Gets the Bill - and the SystemWants It That Way - By Glenn Sacks

Just what we need, another reality show…only this time its called, “Bad Dads”. You HAVE to read this to believe it!Fox zeroes in on ‘Bad Dads’Unscripted series focuses on making deadbeat fathers payWe encourage you to express your opinion by contacting Fox at: foxlife@foxnews.com

Shared parenting or joint physical custody is the common term used to describe a family arrangement after separation or divorce, in which the care of the children is substantially shared between the biological father and mother, leading to a situation where the child knows that both his or her parents are involved in their upbringing. Research and studies that are over a quarter century old show the significant benefits for children of shared parenting arrangements. However, shared parenting is still uncommon in situations where attorneys and the family courts become involved, due to the adversarial nature of the courts.

What is "In the Best Interest of the Child" is the endorsement and encouragement of shared or cooperative parenting (or in legal terms, "joint-custody"), in order that a child maintain an equal and loving relationship with both parents, and where a child is guaranteed frequent, consistent, and continuous contact with both parents, and the inalienable rights of each parent are preserved, as granted to each, and outlined by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution.

With thousands of licensed practicing attorneys and countless yellow pages ads for their services, it is important to choose the right attorney who can make a difference in your family law case and consequently an important difference in your relationship with your child. Additionally, it is important to know how attorney's bill, how they can bill, how they operate, and how to use them in order to minimize your risk of falling prey to an attorneys hidden agenda.

Today, there is a growing effort to promote and encourage "Collaborative Law", one of the latest buzzwords in the family court arena. This is a newer litigation alternative approach to resolve disputes in the family court system that encourages settlement and discourages litigation. However, Collabortive Law will not work for everyone and their are certain characteristics of your case and the parties involved that one must explore to better determine if this is an option for you.

In contested divorce cases today, some experts estimate that between 75 and 80 percent of allegations of child abuse are false (unfounded). Although, the Mondale Act's emphasis on bringing even suspicions of abuse into the open has saved thousands of children from harm by using government funds to set up child abuse prevention programs such as Child Protective Services (CPS) and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), there have been some rather disturbing and compelling side-effects.

False Allegations of child abuse have become an international epidemic in the family courts, including false allegations of domestic violence. False allegations are commonly used by self-serving parents in contested child custody cases as an attempt to rest sole custody of their children in the family courts. Whether a false allegation is made maliciously, or out of genuine concern for the welfare of a child by the accusor, the result is generally the same for the accused.

Noncustodial parents face a difficult dilemma when the custodial parent wants to move to a relatively distant location. Recent California cases indicate that in custody situations, if one parent is functionally the primary parent and the children have been living primarily with that parent, that parent is likely to be permitted by the courts to move and take the children along, even if he or she agreed earlier not to relocate.

In 1985, Dr. Richard A. Gardner coined the term Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS). A term that he used to describe a disorder that arises primarily in the context of child-custody disputes, and it's primary manifestation is the child's campaign of denigration against a parent, and is a campaign that has no justification.

Child custody evaluations have become extremely common in the family courts, in order to help the court develop a parenting plan that is in the best interest of the children when parents have been or are unable to do so. However, there is much skepticism and growing concerns with the validity and quality of these types of evaluations and how they are conducted and the qualifications of those who are conducting them ("evaluators").

Fathers 4 Justice Leaves It's First Mark in the U.S.On Friday, August 17th, two members of the British Fathers 4 Justice, in co-operation with the Fathers 4 Justice US held their first peaceful protest in Washington DC at the Lincoln Memorial. It's incredible that three days later not one word of it has made it on any national news programs, yet this video on Utube has skyrocketed with over 1,300 visits to the video clip.Also incredible is to hear the police yelling for everyone to stop taking photos of the protestors and to not pay atttention to them . Again, these protests are peaceful, climbing the Lincoln Memorial to hang a large banner. It was an incredible first showing for Fathers 4 Justice. See the video clips by clicking more.....

Sometimes we hear or read things that move us in special ways. Today, I watched a video clip with music by Andrea Bocelli, with comments and images about fatherhood. The entire piece is moving, but what moved me the most was something at the end of the video. It states.....Fatherhood is an InstitutionWe must Defend it!Think about it. Would you defend your father? Would your father defend you. The answer is of course. My father fought in World War II to defend all families in the United States. He understood the importance of fatherhood, raised his large family of children working two jobs to feed and protect us. And he was rewarded - by losing custody of his children in divorce. As a father that has also lost custody of my children of divorce, I often wonder if things would be this way if my father had fought harder for custody, if he had waged war on the divorce industry, if he had left a different legacy for me and my children and grand children.Yet, I have a new perspective. This is our War! It is our battle now to carry on the American Tradition that our fathers started by fighting for freedom and democracy. It is our responsibility to stand up and fight for our own freedom, and for the right to be parents to our own children, with a government that is designed to defent that freedom, not take it away.It's time we all stand up and question why this institution of Fatherhood is being destroyed. It's time to take politicians that don't understand it's importance out of office. It's time to pick up a megaphone and yell in the street - no more, we must defend our fathers. It's time to organize and make a committment of both time and money to create changes in each and every state to ensure that the Institution of Fatherhood, and the Institution of Motherhood, remain important aspects of all families, with equal access to the children, equal opportunity to educate and love our children, and equal protection under our laws.Please take a moment to watch this compelling video clip. Enjoy the music of Andrea Bocelli, and reflect on what is important to you, and all families. Invest yourself in making change!Watch the video clip by clicking on more...........

It happens thousands of time each day in the US. Some parent is convicted of Divorced and sentenced to the usual punishment - every other weekend with their children, child support payments that raise the standard of living for the custodial parent, and impoverish the non-custodial parent that must somehow still provide a home for their children during that every important visitation It's an outrage when it happens. Sadly, most fiamilies in the US don't understand the devastation until they have gone through it and it is too late.But here is the big question - where do they go after this shock to their system as sunk in? Do they just go on with life living with it, figuring they've received their punishment for being married to the other person and accept their lumps? Do they just move on and try to forget about it?In any given state there are hundreds of thousands of non-custodial parents that are not getting adequate time with their kids. It's an insult to the American value system, its way of life, its family structure. Yet, it is so quiet. Not hardly a roar from the countless victims of this shamefull disease we call divorce.And there is the problem. As a father or mother that has gone through this divorce, who has moved on and risen above it to make life better in the future, you are ignoring one small detail. Things are changing, and your children that you love so much are going to go through the same pain should they ever get divorced. And, coming from a divorced family, their chances are pretty good that they will get divorced. Imagine if your father had fought to make changes in the system - would they be so bad today for you and your children.No, this is not a fight about yourself. This is a fight about your children! Your grandchildren! Will you let them down, or will you stand up and fight for your rights, and the rights of your children like you have never fought before! Will you consistently tell your elected officials that they can not violate your rights to be a parent any longer? Will you attend meetings when you aren't with your kids and help to bring about change. Will you make that $10 donation to a worthy cause that is fighting for your rights?States are organizing, and getting better prepared to take on this fight. www.CRISPE.ORG (http://www.crispe.org/) is a great example, the Shared Parenting Bike Trek of 2007 was a great example, the online petition at www.WashingtonSharedParenting.com (http://www.washingtonsharedparenting.com/) is another great example. Meetup.com has meetings all over the US for divorced paretents, shared parenting advocates, and fathers rights advocates.Here is something to think about. You should have your kids 50% of the time, we agree, there is no argument. But you don't! So, what are you doing with all those extra hours? Working? Playing? Watching TV? Or dedicating them to improving the chances for your kids and other non-custodial parents by dedicating those lost hours to your kids. Is it asking too much to dedicate even 1/10 of those hours to your kids. Or maybe you need to work to make ends meet. Work an extra hour a month and donate the earnings to a shared parenting organization that is fighting for your rights when you don't have time to do the same. President Reagan asked that everyone donate time or money to improve their community. We are asking the same of every non-custodial parent. Come out of the woodwork, donate time or money to help children everywhere, and your possibly your own grandchildren one day.