A good day in court yesterday

[no_hypocrisy]

I represented a client pro bono (free). His wife kidnapped his three children and concealed them from him for almost nine months.

She sued for emergent temporary custody, claiming falsely domestic violence and alcohol abuse on his part. And got a protective order against him.

Yesterday we went to court. Armed with a police report from June. His wife was arrested for being heavily intoxicated in a public park while their children played. Endangerment of the welfare of a child.

Let's say, the wife was more agreeable to dropping the application for emergent temporary full custody, barring my client from his kids for at least two years. And dropping the protective order.

And my client got immediate access to his three minor children after court.

There's a realistic joint custody order in place.

While we can't give him back the almost nine months without his children, my client got justice yesterday.

[Tetrachloride]

1. Big congratulations.

I had a person in my apartment building with a similar situation (but not as dramatic as your client’s.). My neighbor was quietly but firmly proud of himself. He had been on the wrong side of the law but got back to pretty good.

[Haggard Celine]

2. Lawyers have a bad reputation, but there are a lot

of good ones out there. Thank you for doing that. When you do a good deed like that, you aren't just helping those particular people, you're helping all of us.

[multigraincracker]

3. Good work.

My heart goes out to all Family Law Attorneys. Don’t think I could do that job day in and day out.

[The Jungle 1]

4. It should not take nine months and she should be punished.

The nine months is not the lawyers fault.

[perfessor]

5. Thank you for the work you do in the community.

I can't help but think that when you say "There's a realistic joint custody order in place," that's a bit optimistic. I hope it works for them.

Cheers!

[jaxexpat]

6. What would the man have gotten if he'd kept his children for 9 months?

Would it have been more? Has the court's base assumption really changed that much in 40 years?

[iluvtennis]

7. Nice! n/t

[NJCher]

8. Good for you

Sometimes the system sorta works.

[Martin68]

9. Well done!

[Karadeniz]

10. Yay !!!! Glad you were there to help !!!

[NoMoreRepugs]

11. Righteous. System works sometimes.