By Leon R. Koziol, J.D.

The jail sentence imposed upon a delinquent mother in a Nassau County Family Court Case on June 7, 2010 should not be hailed as a fathers’ rights victory so much as a demonstration of how barbaric our domestic relations processes remain in the 21^st century. The torturous decision in Lauren R. v Ted R. described in graphic detail how a mother abused her state authorized powers as a so-called “custodial parent” to alienate a father from his children. Countless parents and victims will see themselves represented in this classic example of New York’s dysfunctional child governance system.

The summer weekend jail punishment meted out to Lauren R. pales in comparison to the draconian measures taken against fathers who become delinquent in child support (welfare entitlements). Six month sentences are not uncommon for struggling dad’s in today’s economy after years of intangible confinement to a custodial institution of child-rearing.

The insidious problem lies not with the parents, but with the long antiquated “custody” and “support” laws which force parents to fight over their own children. Mandatory awards are imposed upon every parent entering a domestic relations court regardless of circumstances which may call for their rejection. This causes otherwise cooperating moms and dads to engage in child injuring litigation tactics which support a multi-billion dollar child control industry. Lawyers and forensic agents are benefiting at the expense of children and their career aspirations by a guaranteed reduction of the parents’ joint estates through diverse fees, court ordered programs and lost work time. This case may be summed up in its conclusion: some $165,000.00 in attorneys fees which will be addressed when the mother completes her jail sentence.