One Thursday afternoon in December, a father and two of his estranged children boarded a flight from Salt Lake City to Texas, beginning an effort to repair their fractured relationship. A family court official had ordered them to attend a reunification camp, Turning Points for Families Texas, to repair damage that the judge said the boys’ mother had inflicted by alienating them from their … [Read more...]
State Lawmakers Consider Bill Banning Controversial Reunification Therapy and Camps
A bill known as Piqui’s Law would prohibit court-ordered family reunification therapy or “camps” as part of a child custody or visitation rights proceeding, that is predicated on cutting off a child from a parent with whom the child is attached, is moving through the legislature. Authored by Senator Susan Rubio, the intent of SB 331 is to increase the priority given to child custody court … [Read more...]
Family court abused discretion ordering children to Family Bridges reunification therapy, appellate court rules
The Second Appellate District Court reversed an order, in favor of the mother, that would have sent two children to Family Bridge’s 90-day reunification program last January. The mother appealed a Los Angeles family court order modifying the parenting plan between her and her former husband concerning their two minor children. “We agree the court abused its discretion and reverse the order,” … [Read more...]
Alienation Distraction Tactics
Essay by Barry Goldstein There is a pattern in most domestic violence custody cases that would help courts understand child custody disputes better and avoid mistakes that place children in jeopardy. In most cases, during the relationship the father wanted or demanded the mother provide most of the child care. In any other type of litigation, this pattern would be recognized as an admission by … [Read more...]
They Were Taken From Their Mom to ‘Rebond’ with Their Dad. It Didn’t Go Well.
The night of Dec. 14, Laura and David recalled, they were abruptly awakened by Raphael, accompanied by four burly adults. The grown-ups, from Bill Lane & Associates, a youth transport service based in San Diego, shuttled the disoriented children into cars. With little understanding of what was happening, the frightened children were separated and sent off: Laura recalled that she went with a … [Read more...]