Sunday, July 27, 2014

More on "Alimony - it works both ways"

In perusing the comments (and many are very insightful) to Lisa Murdy's Time article I mentioned in yesterday's post, I ran across several horror stories including one posted by Robin Hair which including her story and a petition on change.org. All I can say is, wow, what a nightmare. Her husband was basically hounded to death by his ex-spouse,  her lawyer and the judge in the case. I can say with assurance that Spring, Nelly Wince and Judge Mearly operate in exactly the same manner as their counterparts did in the Hair case. In fact, in many ways they have behaved far worse as there is such strong evidence in my case.

I do salute Robin Hair for having the courage to name names. Society will only improve if people are willing to speak out against injustice.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Alimony - it works both ways

Although men only account for 3% of alimony recipients, the issue and injustice works both ways as a Time article by Lisa Mundy from last year reports. In fact, many women are quite "pissed", to quote the article, about having to pay alimony. And many wives of husbands who have to pay alimony to a previous spouse are just as mad. Injustice is injustice. This isn't about men vs. women. 

In reading the Time article, the part that strikes me the most is that the author assumes that the party receiving alimony was the one who stayed home to raise the children. This is a myth that simply isn't true. In my case, the custody evaluator ruled that parenting was joint and the vocational evaluator determined that Spring could make just a much money as me. Yet I am required to pay an enormous percentage of my salary in alimony until death. The only retirement I can hope for is natural retirement as I often joke. (I often think that my sense of gallows humor is what has kept me alive) My situation is in no way uncommon. 

The injustice in the divorce system is due to crime and criminal corruption. It is about litigants and lawyers lying and committing fraud to get more money. The corruption is so endemic that the guilty simply rationalize their actions away on the basis that everyone acts that way. Sadly their actions destroy, often literally, innocent lives.   

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Players - Jamie Jensen

I have published a page on my junior lawyer, Jamie Jensen in the Players section. I liked Jamie and could have forgiven her actions if she had come to terms with them, but sadly she didn't. 

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Medical Churning

It may appear that I have a real dislike of lawyers but that is inaccurate. I have a dislike of unethical behavior and corruption no matter where it is found. This site's focus is on the divorce system but that is only because I and my children have first hand experience, quite painful experience, of just how corrupt the divorce industry is. Not only that but I have unquestionable evidence of illegal activities and corruption. Quite honestly I would feel guilty if I did not at least to try to change the system for the better.   

Sadly, however, corruption is widespread.  USA Today has an article that describes the practice of referral churning by doctors, occupational therapists, chiropractors and physical therapists in Brooklyn, New York. As the article points out, either Brooklyn is the capital of pain or has a huge problem with fraud. The evidence clearly show it is the latter. 

Referral churning in the medical field is pretty much the same as in the divorce industry. Bad lawyers direct you to their buddies who are real estate agents, testimony coaches, mediators and parental consultants. The goal is to extract money from whomever has it without regard to right or wrong or the law. The big difference is that medial churning and fraud bilks money out of  insurance companies and the government, in the case of Medicare and Medicaid, whereas in the divorce industry the money comes from individual's pockets. This is significant because insurance companies and the government have an incentive to investigate and prosecute medical fraud. Which they do. 

But who is there to investigate and prosecute fraud in the divorce industry? Sadly there is no one. As the victims are individuals and families they are too small for the police to bother with. County attorneys often come from the very same law firms that have divorce practices (the county attorney where I reside does). so they will not bother. Civil rights attorneys like cases where an underprivileged class of people are discriminated against not where the victim is a responsible hard working person without regard to ethnicity, education level or religious affiliation. This is especially true because false allegations are so common.  

The sad reality is that there is no one with an incentive to clean up the divorce system but are a huge number of people that have a vested interest in perpetuating the corruption within it.The natural result of this is that unethical and criminal behavior in the divorce industry has become endemic and institutionalized. 

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Divorce Corp Review by Philip Greenspun

Philip Grenspun has an interesting critical review of the movie Divorce Corp which I have mentioned before. I have not seen Grenspun's site before but he seems like an intelligent person.  Based on the comments, his readers seem well informed as well. Although generally positive, as I say Greenspun's review is critical which is a good thing.

I have noticed that most stories about divorce reform tend to highlight child support not spousal support. The fact that I am paying child support doesn't really bother me that much. As Spring is unwilling to provide anything for the kids then I have no qualms about doing so. That is my responsibility as a parent. Sure it is unfair but I married Spring so I have to take the consequences. What really bothers me is the spousal support which is massive and was obtained via perjury and fraud. And, as I repeat often, I have the evidence. It is tragic for the children and me that Spring has chosen to provide nothing for her children. It is tragic for society that she has obtained a legal ruling allowing her to live as a parasite upon her children and me.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Alimony Reform in Flordia

Last year Florida governor Rick Scott vetoed a very modest alimony reform bill that would have somewhat curtailed permanent alimony and this year it is dead as well. How did this happen? It is significant that one of the main groups fighting against the bill was the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar. That's right - divorce lawyers. The very same people who would have the most to lose in a more just and equitable system. 

Permanent alimony should be outright banned as in almost all cases it enslaves a person until death with no possibility of retirement.  But even long term alimony should only be given in exceptional cases such as where the person receiving alimony is disabled or truly sacrificed their working career to be a full-time parent and homemaker and the person paying did little in those areas. Sadly the most common reason for receiving alimony is irresponsibility during the marriage. It is possibly the only legal way to make a large amount of money by acting immorally. (and quite often criminally) It is certainly the most common.