Happy New Year everyone…
I post this video for my family court clients with somewhat mixed feelings. It’s a TedTalk given by a Nevada family law attorney named Marilyn York. She runs a practice that focuses on representing men in divorce and family court matters. I have to admit that I am always somewhat skeptical of lawyers who market themselves as specific to representing only mothers or only fathers. Doesn’t mean they are not skilled practitioners or that they are somehow of questionable ethics, it’s just that for me I believe that I as a family court attorney should be capable and welcoming of representing clients from varied perspectives as it makes me a better and more well-rounded advocate. Additionally, I believe that parents of any sort need to show to the courts that they appear in front of that they are serious about playing a significant role in children’s lives. Too many times I have seen parties who for one reason or another say or argue one thing in a courtroom (or, more particularly, on Microsoft Teams at the moment) then do the complete opposite out in the real world.
Anyhow, Ms. York’s talk struck me as interesting and worthy of sharing because; 1) she herself has been a party (more than once it seems) in family court and/or divorce cases, 2) her summary of the importance of fathers in the successful upbringing of children is spot on, and 3) her recap of how far fathers have come (and how far they still have to go) in achieving a level playing field remains relevant.
Please do enjoy the talk and perhaps consider how her perspective might be applicable to family court in general or your situation in particular: