Legal Abuse -- Is the Family Court System
Supposed to Be Just and Fair?

by Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.

I often hear people hollering that the family court system is not being just and fair. They say, it is supposed to be just and fair yet, it isn’t.

My question is, “Is that true?” I’m not sure if the word “fair” is relevant here.

What Is Before the Court

You see the family court system is really about adjudicating on what’s before the court. And what’s before the court is more a matter of what the attorneys put before the court, that is, what they put in front of the judge.

So, if you are scratching your head or tearing your hair out over what’s just and fair, I recommend that you consider what’s before the court.

It’s your business to carefully monitor whether your case is being put before the court in a way that represents your best interest. And if it is not, it is your responsibility to do something about it.

It is not the court’s responsibility to make sure your position is properly represented. Rather, the court’s job is merely to pass judgment on what is before the judge.

Being Proactive to Create Justice

Now, it is true that battered women often get the raw end of the deal in family court. It is also true that one of the reasons for this is because they are not knowledgeable on how to get their case before the court.

And sadly, as is typically the case, their counsel reflexively operates according to the financial politics of the case. You may think it is cold and cruel that finances govern the operation of the legal judicial system; but let’s face it, attorneys are paid court agents. They are not free public servants, at least not in divorce court.

If you are a domestic violence survivor and protective parent in a custody or divorce matter, be mindful of the influence and control you could have by getting your case before the court.

For more information about legal abuse and divorce, visit http://www.preventabusiverelationships.com/legal_domestic_abuse.php and claim your Free Instant Access to Survivor Success eInsights. Psychologist Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D. helps domestic abuse survivors prevent abuse in divorce and custody cases nationwide. Copyright 2009 Jeanne King, Ph.D.

Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D. – Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention

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