Washington Shared Parenting

Let’s face it, non-custodial parents complain bitterly that they don’t get enough time with their children.   We can’t rely on the legislature to fix it anytime soon – not if you look at the changes Senator Kastama requested for the past 14 years – and was denied by Senator Hargrove repeatedly – let’s not forget Senator McAuliffe for her efforts to keep changes from happening either.

And, when the limited time is provided in a parenting plan, there is absolutely no way to ensure you get that time, as our own Court’s won’t uphold the visitation because they refuse to find any custodial parent in contempt of the parenting plan.

In Illinois, they just passed a law that goes after deadbeat custodial parents that refuse to allow parenting time to the non-custodial parents.  SB 3823 brings remedies and sanctions for visitation interference closer to that of child support non-compliance, as it should be. It provides judges additional tools that they may choose to use, including:

• Allowing for the suspension of driver’s license
• Allowing for probation
• Allowing for imprisonment not to exceed 6 months
• Allowing for the finding of a petty offence and fines of no more than $500 per offense

Wow, any chance Hargrove and his misfits will find the guts to buck the women’s groups and courts that they cow-tow to and pass a law that protects what little non-custodians get now?  Ya’ think they can use Illinois to as a model to finally do something to protect children?

I won’t hold my breathe, but it sure looks appealing, and seems to be the right thing to do for children.   And, it would allow for more acrimony in the divorce, so we should get the support of the Bar Association on this one – increased revenue for attorney’s – that has to be good for their business.