ballot question re: child custody

[Bill McBlueState]

There's going to be a ballot issue in my district on Tuesday that has to do with child custody in divorce cases. It's nonbinding, so it's just an informal instruction to our state representative if it passes. I don't know much about this, so I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts.

The question, pasted below, would require joint custody to be awarded unless one parent is formally declared to be unfit. That's my understanding of it, anyway.

"Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation requiring that in all separation and divorce proceedings involving minor children, the court shall uphold the fundamental rights of both parents to the shared physical and legal custody of their children and the children's right to maximize their time with each parent, so far as is practical, unless one parent is found unfit or the parents agree otherwise, subject to the requirements of existing child support and abuse prevention laws?"

[WolverineDG]

1. Does "unfit"

include domestic violence? sounds like they're trying to push through a joint custody statute, which in & of itself is not bad & should be encouraged. however, if there is a history of domestic violence by one partner on the other, joint custody should be avoided at all costs because it will allow the abuser more access & opportunity to abuse to the victim since they have to make decisions "together."

just my take....& i'm not from massachusetts....

dg

[Bill McBlueState]

2. I'm not sure whether it includes domestic violence

Your concern, though, is one that I saw elsewhere as I've been doing a little research.

One other thing I found is that this is funded by the National Fatherhood Coalition, which has a lot of right wing positions on affirmative action and gay rights. For that reason alone, I think I'll vote against it.

[WolverineDG]

3. those "father's rights" crybabies??

god how i hate them!!! those damn crybabies tried to get a law passed stating they could AUDIT how the mother was spending child support because of all the custodial moms living high on the hog buying their new boyfriends corvettes with child support checks. since most of them get support based on minimum wage ($160 & change/month for one kid), it was complete BS...thank god the dems were still in control then & that got canned here in texas :grr:

yes, if they're involved, i'd vote against it, especially since the language doesn't directly address domestic violence.

dg

[yella_dawg]

4. Yeah, can you believe that crap?

I learned my lesson when my nine year old daughter called me and told me that because I'd missed a child support payment while in the hospital for surgery, both her mom and her stepdad were going to have to get jobs. I feel so bad for putting my daughter in such a humiliating position. I sucked it right up and got that payment caught up!