More From Susan Settenbrino

Yesterday I posted a video of a presentation by Susan Settenbrino on judicial bias and the political process. Settenbrino also has a four part series of videos on Divorce Corp's  Family Law Report detailing unethical and corrupt behavior within the family law court system. it is a great series and well worth watching.

One of my concerns about this site is that some may find it anti-lawyer or anti-women so I have striven to emphasize that justice and equality means justice and equality for all. Good lawyers, like all the great civil justice leaders, many of which were lawyers, know this. Settenbrino, I think, clearly does as well.

People who commit discrimination and other illegal acts often "win" in the sense that they garner money or power but what they do not realize is that next time they many be on the losing side of injustice. But to be clear, even for those who commit injustice, I do not advocate committing injustice against them as some form of retaliation. Switching the perpetrator and victim of injustice just perpetuates the cycle of injustice. What I want is to reduce injustice overall.

Part 1 - Misconduct by Judges

Part 2 - Recusals

Part 3 - Politicians in Robes

Part 4 – Lack of Oversight

Susan Settenbrino On Judicial Bias and the Political Process

Lawyer Susan Settenbrino talks about judicial bias and political influence in the process.

Ms. Settenbrino makes a strong case for just how dysfunctional our legal system is. The laws and rules to protect against injustice are more often than not on the books but that is a moot point when they are simply ignored. Settenbrino shows us how to at least start fixing the problem.

Misinformation on DivorceSupport.com

Not to criticize but I noted that DivorceSupport.com has some very misleading information

"Yes, permanent alimony can still be awarded. There is nothing stopping a couple from negotiating and agreeing to an award of permanent alimony. Outside of this situation, permanent alimony is rarely awarded. The same factors controlling an award of long-term, rehabilitative maintenance applies to permanent alimony: the recipient ex-spouse must have no realistic chance of employment, and the marriage must have been over a long period of time."

As I have repeatedly pointed out, I have to pay a massive amount of alimony to Spring despite a less that  20 marriage and the fact that she is college educated and an employment evaluation determined she could make just as much money as me, joint parenting during the marriage (as determined by the custody evaluator), joint custody post marriage, strong evidence Spring committed perjury and absolute evidence her lawyer lied in court.

Yes Virginia - it Really Is that Bad

I don't usually tell people much about my situation but I did yesterday with a colleague and friend I've known for years at work. She had recently divorced. (Her husband left my friend and their kids for another woman that he secretly had a child with) Their divorce was fairly straight forward although he is trying to reduce child support because of his new child, but there is no alimony.

My friend knows the girl I have been dating for the last four years and make a joke about getting married. Without thinking too much I told her that I legally can't. I then had to clarify that for all practical purposes I can't because that would require my new spouse to pay alimony to Spring if I became unable to work.  Then I had to tell her the whole story of how despite the fact that Spring divorced me, the custody evaluator ruled parenting during the marriage was joint, a vocational evaluation stating Spring could make just as much money as me, good evidence of perjury by Spring, absolute evidence that her lawyer Nelly Wince lied in court, joint custody after the divorce, as well as many other injustices, I am required to pay a massive amount of alimony to Spring until the day I die. I have no possibility of retirement or remarriage.

My friend had this incredulous look. She could not believe that I had been so unjustly treated or that it was even possible that anyone could be treated so unjustly by the court system. I told her that it is hard to believe but that is the way the system works. I even mentioned the story I posted earlier in the week as well as the Robin and James Hair story that I have mentioned before.

The reality of how the divorce system works is so inconceivable to most people that they simply think that it can't possibly be that bad. Even people who have been divorced, if both parties were at lest marginally ethical, have a hard time believing that anyone could be so unjustly, even criminally, treated by the divorce system as I and my children have. It is not plausible in their minds. It doesn't pass the sniff test. Nonetheless it is sadly, tragically true. This difficulty is believing how bad the system is one of the main reasons the injustices persists.

Florida Alimony Reform - 72-Year-Old Alzheimer Patient Ordered to Pay Lifetime Alimony

From Florida comes a heartbreaking story of a 72-Year-Old Alzheimer Patient Ordered to Pay Lifetime Alimony.

The fear that I might end up in the same situation is the reason I cannot in good conscious ever remarry. The financial reality of paying lifetime alimony means that I will never be able to retire.

The woman in the video says she can understand temporary alimony but in my case that wasn't even warranted for as an employment evaluation stated Spring could make just as much money as me and the custody evaluator ruled parenting during the marriage was joint. Yet I actually pay more per month in alimony than this poor guy. How can one conclude that the divorce system is anything but evil to the core?

2nd Wives Club of South Carolina

The 2nd Wives Club of South Carolina is an organization lobbying to abolish lifetime alimony in the state.

We are women (and their partners) who believe that the alimony laws in the state of South Carolina are outdated, specifically the awarding of permanent alimony as the most common form of alimony awarded. Many of us have been directly harmed by these laws. We may actually be the ones paying our spouse's alimony, because he has suffered a financial downturn. We may not be able to retire, along with our spouse, because our husbands owe their ex-wives so much in alimony each month that retirement is impossible. We may be struggling to put children through college, perhaps step-children whose mother is receiving the money in alimony that should be going toward the childrens' college education. The ways in which the old laws are one-sided are endless. Even short marriages can result in permanent alimony.

That is exactly my situation. I cannot remarry because that would oblige my new spouse to pay alimony to Spring should I become unable to work nor can I ever hope to retire. I now have two children in college and Spring refuses to use one cent of alimony or the money she received from the divorce, let alone her income, to help pay tuition.

The 2nd Wives Club of South Carolina even have their own line of gear.

How Spousal Support Entitles People and Stifles Personal Growth

Everyone should read the story of a Navy Lieutenant Commander who after joining the military in her teens and working hard to advance herself finds herself having to forfeit a percentage of her military retirement to her ex-husband. She was married for eight years and they had no kids.

This is pathetic and just as pathetic if the genders were reversed.