In the First-Ever indepth divorce study of the Washington State Parenting Act of 1987, a package of laws that repealed language of "custody" and "visitation" and required detailed Parenting Plans in all Family Law proceedings for children, has been officially released. Several states have adopted similar language from Washington State statutes and over the years there has been a demand for an assessment of the Parenting Act and outcomes for parents and children. Copies of the Report will be available on the internet as of mid-September at http://www.wa.gov/courts. Please put this date on your calendars for taking a look. If you are active in Divorce Reform lobbying, this report is a must.
Outcomes for fathers
32.2% of the reviewed Final Parenting Plans from May 1, 1997 through May 31, 1998 had children living with their fathers. This study includes Final Parenting Plans from original divorces as well as Parenting Plan Modifications. This is a huge positive contrast compared to states where fathers have children in less than 5% of the cases.
Any who want more details may contact me. I have been personally involved in putting together over 1000 Parenting Plans in law offices where I have worked and also assisted fathers representing themselves Pro Se. I have a sample 15 page Parenting Plan document that I sell to interested fathers that includes sample language taken from winning parenting plans. This language addresses residential schedules (shared living arrangements), non-relocation, alienation, public-private education, etc. This is serious business for divorcing parents and we have perfected the language necessary to actually get what you want and minimize mothers' ability to interpret vague or unspecific to an opposite result or opinion.
This report is of the highest national importance for all Fathers Movement leaders and Divorce reform advocates.
From my work on the United States Commission on Child and Family Welfare, Parenting Out Children: In the Best Interest of the Nation (1996) and my work as a Legal Assistant specializing in Parenting Plans and as a participant in this divorce study, I can see where improvements have been made, but I see more where we are losing the battle. Divorce Reform is serious business and we need more activists willing to work politically for the goals and legislative changes that are so necessary. This report and its details with recommendations can be of great use if you get it, read it, tear it apart, and put an agendas together for reform in your state. It always helps to have the most up to date informations and report. This report is it.
Officially titles: Washington State Parenting Act Study Report to the Washington State Gender and Justice Commission and Domestic Relations Commission. Diane N. Lye, Ph.D. Researcher Supreme Court Justice Barbara Madsen, Chair
Truthfully, our best way of minimizing the negative effects of divorce for children is to reduce the divorce rate. Other than that goal, fathers must worker harder, both with the moms, and against the system, for the critical changes to minimize the enormous gender-bias in the system favoring mothers without looking to the benefits of father love and positive father parenting. Research on the declining wellbeing for the majority of children of divorce provide sobering reality checks about the disastrous negative effects of divorce on children. In the County where I live, we are experiencing 300 divorce filings per month with children.
This report demonstrates that fathers are staying involved, often at great odds and are succeeding at a rate of 4-1 in successfully changing homes in post-divorce modification proceedings. The report has its positive aspects bust must be read in its entirety for an overall assessment.
Any and all thoughtful responses would be most appreciated. Our work is so critical if America is to have serious Family Life in the 21st century.
What do you think? - How important are fathers? Should families stay together when the adults are hostile toward one another? What about the extended family? Historically, grandparents and elder uncles and aunts have frequently played a more important role in raising children than their parents.
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