The Family Stand: A Custody Court War Story

"One brief online search will tell you how pervasive the problem of family court dysfunction really is. All around the world, judges and others involved in family law are acting in ways that further polarize family members, causing and encouraging alienation, disputes, animosity, resentment, financial ruin and even untimely deaths. Even something as simple as filing forms can be overwhelming when a person walks through those doors for the first time, simply attempting to find assistance at spending equitable time with his or her child. There are financial consequences of pursuing personal justice and equality when it comes to the right to retain one's own income, which is necessary to provide a decent quality of life for your child(ren). To say simply that these individuals in the legal system "don't care" would be grossly misleading. In actuality, many within and outside of the family court system actively work to bring on despair for family members fighting for the right to raise their children. This book documents not only the devastating encounters with my son's mother and the family courts but also with their shameful influence on other social systems. My resulting outcry for justice is equally matched by an insistence that we, as responsible parents, work much harder at preserving and upholding the rights and interests of our children and the generations to follow. The bickering, posturing, denial of time, outright falsehoods, and other elements of the turmoil all serve to diminish the child's potential for avoiding a maladjusted development in society. I appeal to all family members to police the courts and show up with your brothers, sisters, cousins etc., when it is the right thing to do. Conversely, when it is inappropriate to intervene and better to remain neutral, I advise that you do just that. May glory always shine upon your family's pearls. Payton E. Nichols ("The P.E.N.")"