The legal industry is the primary resource used to resolve family disputes in Alabama. What’s the impact on our kids, their future, and taxpayers? Are there alternatives to protect our children’s relationships with both of their parents and extended family?
Alabama is currently ranked 44th among the 50 states in overall child well-being, based on measures in four categories: health, education, economic well-being, and family and community. We firmly believe the cause of such a low ranking is due to an outdated model of the Alabama courts attempting to resolve family disputes in a legal environment. Approximately 40,000 Alabama children are annually subjected to being restricted by court orders to only seeing one of their parents four to six days a month as a remedy to resolve family disputes.
The Alabama Family Rights Association is pursuing better ways to safeguard the parent-child relationship during and after custody situations. We are seeking better practices to help facilitate parents dealing with family disputes. I have met with several Marriage & Family Therapists (MFT), specialized in family systems and individuals that work in the family law industry to discuss better ways to handle family disputes. Many agree parents sometimes will use Family and Domestic Relations courts to punish the other parent for countless reasoning, none of which are legal matters. Although these are family disputes, they are currently treated as legal issues, and directed to the courts to be litigated. Such disputes are re-litigated over and over until their child(ren) reaches the age of majority, without ever actually addressing the family issue, which only inflames a hostile emotional relationship between the parents. Such abuse of the family court systems places an unnecessary burden on the courts and child(ren). The legal community is struggling with how to handle such conflicts, especially when parents have equal custody. The Alabama Family Rights Association is seeking Marriage & Family Therapists specialized in family systems and courts that are willing to facilitate a model by deferring parents with family disputes to MFTs to help these parents work through their family disputes instead of using the legal system and resources that seldom resolve family disputes.
If you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss further or participate in our efforts to filter family disputes out of the courts to individuals specialized in family systems versus legal systems, contact ALFRA at info@alfra.org.
ALFRA’s Mission:
To preserve, promote and protect family relationships. We support and initiate changes to the Alabama Child Custody Law, enacted in 1852, to guarantee that no child is placed at risk.
Our Belief:
Families have a fundamental right to be involved in each other’s lives regardless of marital status. Research has shown children thrive better with the love and support of both parents.
Kenneth Paschal
Director of Governmental Affairs
Alabama Family Rights Association
US Army Retired
205-626-9458
www.alfra.org/commercial/
Alabama Family Rights Association
Working to preserve, promote, and protect family relationships.
PRESERVE parental fundamental rights;
PROMOTE equal parenting time with each fit parent;
PROTECT children from being placed at risk by safeguarding the parent-child relationship.
Healthy Children, Healthy Economy
