Prince Charming Doesn't Live Here Anymore
"Some day, my Prince will come" goes the song. But what if he came – and went -- and took half of everything with him? 

Domestic Violence

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• A Place for the Single Dad
  

  I’ve discovered something new, an online blog/magazine devoted to single dads. It isn’t the first I’ve read but it is by far the best.

  If you visit SingleDadLife you will find articles written by experts that cover everything from dating and sex to health and fitness.

  Today I’m going to send you their way by sharing a post I believe every single Dad should read.

  No Excuse Not To Be Involved

  Courtesy: SingleDadLife

  Research is unequivocal that few fathers abandon their children voluntarily. Most fatherless children result from fathers being forcibly separated from their children by the court system.

  I’m not going to open that can of worms here. Not yet. It’s too big a can.

  But I will say this: The family court process of determining who should have the right to see the children and when can be a…go on now, get on over and read about the importance of fathers in their children’s lives.

  
  
  
• What You Need to Know About Restraining Orders
  

  A Restraining Order is a court order intended to protect you from further harm from someone who has hurt you; to keep the abuser away from you, or to stop harassing you, or keep the abuser from the scene of the violence, which may include your home, place of work, or apartment. It is a civil order and it does not give the abuser a criminal record.

  A victim of domestic violence can obtain a Restraining Order. A victim of domestic abuse means a person protected by the law and shall include any person who has been subjected to domestic abuse by a spouse, or any other person who is a present or former household member and where the victim is 18 years of age or older or who is an emancipated minor. A victim, of any age, who has been subjected to domestic violence by...read more about restraining orders

  
  
  
• He's History; You're Not...Divorce Advice for the Midlife Woman
  

  In He’s History; You’re Not: Surviving Divorce After Forty, Erica Manfred shares her own divorce experience as well as the advice of experts, with specific sections tailored to women in their 40s, 50s and 60s. This is what Erica says about her book:

  “I was fifty-eight when my husband announced he was leaving for a younger woman Luckily, I had a girlfriend who had been through a recent divorce-a friend who coached me through the frustrating, frightening process of taking care of myself again.

  Even though divorce is a rite of passage that large numbers of women go through every year, its aftermath is impossible to understand unless you’ve been through it—especially the impact of divorce on older women.

  Alone at fifty-eight, broke, traumatized, depressed, convinced I’d never find a decent job, another man, or another life, made me think about how many other women were in the same boat as me, or an even worse one.

  It also made me think about who women turn to when they get divorced no matter how old they are.  Divorced women, especially if they’re women of a “certain age,” need advice not just from experts but also from someone who's been there, done that.  This book is written for those women who need advice from just that someone."

  He’s History; You’re Not discusses how to:

  Avoid “kiss of death” marriage counselors to determine if reconciliation is possible. Find an affordable divorce lawyer. Survive the first, worst year Deal with your adult or teen kids (who can be just as devastated as small children) Get back to work or find a new career (age discrimination does not have to stop you) Use the Internet to date the Viagra generation Restore your self-esteem despite body parts that have succumbed to gravity Forgive your ex (and yourself) and finally move on.
  
  
  
• Governor Mark Sanford Spends Father’s Day Weekend With His Mistress
  

  The leader of the state of South Carolina seems to have his priorities screwed up. Should the residents of South Carolina be wondering whether this man is capable of respecting anyone? How do you put any faith in a married man who will choose to spend Father’s Day with the other woman instead of his own children?

  After being missing in action for 7 days, Governor Mark Sanford admitted to an affair with a “dear, dear friend” from Argentina. He had been in Argentina with his affair partner instead of hiking the Appalachian Trail as earlier reported by his staff.

  Governor Sanford is the head of the Republican Governor’s Association and it has been rumored that he will run for president in 2012. Sanford was first elected Governor of South Carolina in 2002.

  Sanford said he will resign from his post as head of the Republican Governor’s Association but will not resign as Governor. I have a feeling the heat is going to be on for a resignation though. Southern republicans don’t look kindly upon men who engage in affairs, especially those who disregard their children in the process.

  What we have here is another example of a high profile, powerful thinking he is untouchable. This has to be a case of someone feeling his station in life protects him from the consequences of bad behavior.

  How else could he justify his behavior other than to think he is exempt from what most consider right and wrong.

  I will say this…I’ve been in love and longed for the company of the one I loved. I’ve never been so swept up in it that I allowed it to interfere with or damage those who love me or shirked my responsibility to those dependent on me.

  There is something flawed in the character of men like Mark Sanford and the world of politics seems to be a breeding ground for such men lately.

  Related Articles:

  What is an Emotional Affair?
  The Negative Consequences of an Affair
  Eight Reasons Men Cheat
  Is Your Spouse Cheating

  
  
  
• Presumptive Joint Custody…Good or Bad?
  

  There is a new bill waiting for a decision in the Pennsylvania Legislature. House Bill 463, the Presumptive Joint-Custody law, would automatically give each parent equal custody of their children. It would require parents to submit a parenting plan and give the judge the authority to order counseling for them, but would also leave the door open for appeals by both parents for a different custody arrangement.

  At the present time, Pennsylvania decides most custody cases on a case-by-case basis with a judge deciding custody based on the “best interest of the child.”

  As you can imagine, fathers in Pennsylvania are in favor of House Bill 463 passing and becoming law. “Not everybody is a deadbeat dad,” said Mark Carrol, spokesman for the central Pennsylvania chapter of Fathers4Justice. “I work with a lot of fathers who just want to help raise their children. ... The bottom line is, children need both parents but, for whatever reasons, the courts are biased. Eighty-five percent of the time when dad goes into court asking for more time with his kids, the judge says no.”

  Some have differing opinions. “I don’t disagree that both parents need to get involved in the child’s life, but if those two parents don’t get along that does not bode well for a (50/50) shared-custody arrangement,” she said. “My concern is any type of presumption of joint custody will decimate the best interest of the child standard. I believe starting from that presumption takes away all the discretion of the court and the judge, who is the fact finder and who hears from both sides what is going on and makes the final determination of what is in best interest of the child,” says Mary Burchik, chairwoman of the Lebanon County Bar Association’s Family Law Committee.

  Mark Carrol is right, not every father is a deadbeat dad and there are many fathers out there who want nothing more than to help raise their children. What about those fathers who are deadbeat dads though? Or, even worse, fathers or mothers who are abusive?

  How does a presumptive joint custody law benefit a child in danger of being abused by a parent? House Bill 463 leaves open the option to appeal the custody arrangement but what does the child who is in danger of abuse do while waiting on an appeal.

  I don’t agree with Ms. Burchik’s argument. If divorced parents can’t get along the child suffers no matter what the custody arrangement. For the life of me, I can’t see how a good father spending more time with his child can be more damaging just because he doesn’t get along with his ex.

  Then there is the idea she has that presumptive joint custody will destroy the best interest of the child standard. When children have two loving parents, nothing would serves a child’s interest more than spending equal time with each parent. If left up to judges, as Ms. Burchik suggests nothing will change and I can’t remember the last time I heard from anyone who got a judgment from a judge that actually took into consideration…”the best interest of the child.”

  I’m all for equal/shared custody. I think the damage done to children when parents’ divorce would diminish greatly if both parents played an equal role in children’s lives post divorce. We can’t assume that both parents are good parents though. When that is done there is a danger of children being placed with a parent who will do harm. That is unacceptable!

  We need to find a way to make the playing field equal when it comes to child custody but I don’t think making the presumption that both parents are good parents is the cure for the problem.

  
  
  

• Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home (Aberdeen American News)
  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A law enforcement official says the powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home....
  
  
• Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home (CTV.ca)
  A law enforcement official says the powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home.
  
  
• Trustee?s Alleged Vulgar Comments Held Not Actionable (Metropolitan News-Ente...
  A trustee who allegedly made sexual comments to the mother of a trust beneficiary in the course of one telephone conversation and one in-person meeting over the course of one day did not engage in actionable harassment, the California Supreme Court ruled yesterday.
  
  
• Diprivan found in Michael Jackson's home (WABC-TV New York)
  A law enforcement official says the sedative Diprivan was found in Jackson's home.
  
  
• Harve Presnell, Singer, Actor Dies At 75 (Free Internet Press)
  Harve Presnell, whose rich operatic baritone thrilled audiences in the stage and film versions of ?The Unsinkable Molly Brown? and who made an unexpected return to the screen as William H. Macy's overbearing father-in-law in ?Fargo,? died Tuesday in Santa Monica, California.
  
  

• Jackson's Ex-Wife Could Sue for Kids - ABC News
  A custody battle over Michael Jackson's three children may be brewing, and even the King of Pop's will may not determine who would come out on top. While a California judge has given Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson?s mother, custody of his three ...
  
  

• State orders audit of Marin family court - San Jose Mercury News
  
  State orders audit of Marin family court
  San Jose Mercury News
  To improve the system, the court announced, officials cleared a backlog of 1500 stalled family law cases; translated legal forms and instructions in Spanish ...
  
  and more »
  
  
• Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home - The Associated Press
  
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home
  The Associated Press
  She is the mother of his two oldest children and received $8.5 million in their divorce, according to court records. His youngest child, 7-year-old Prince ...
  Jackson's Will Shuts out Ex-wifeTHISDAY
  
  all 1,939 news articles »
  
  
• Jackson's ex gets hearing on custody rescheduled - Toledo Blade
  
  guardian.co.uk
  Jackson's ex gets hearing on custody rescheduled
  Toledo Blade
  "Under California law, if you are the legal parent of a child, you have rights to the child even if you don't currently have legal custody," said Erik ...
  MICHAEL JACKSON - ROWE: 'I WANT MY KIDS'Contactmusic.com
  Jackson ex-wife shows interest in custody of kidsThe Associated Press
  
  all 5,325 news articles »
  
  
• FACTBOX: US laws on gay marriage, civil unions - Reuters
  
  FACTBOX: US laws on gay marriage, civil unions
  Reuters
  Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington offer gay couples some legal rights as partners. * The patchwork of laws has caused some unusual complications. ...
  
  and more »
  
  
• Cultural Background Gains Traction as a Legal Defense - Wall Street Journal
  
  Cultural Background Gains Traction as a Legal Defense
  Wall Street Journal
  The old saw among law enforcement is that ignorance of the law is no defense. But some think it should be, at least in some circumstances, ...
  
  and more »