Family Court.

[swamp]

Quote from a Family Court Judge at a seminar:

Nobody in Family Court is married, and they don't want to get married. The only ones that want to get married are the gays, and we won't let them.

[biglin]

Sorry, am I missing something? Is this an American cultural reference I don't know?

Surely Family Court is about families and that means couples with children?

Now I happen to BE married but I know lots of loving couples who are not but still have loving relationships with children.

So I'd really like to know quite what the point and what the reference in this post was because I'm genuinely confused!

[swamp]

I'm at a seminar on family law and that was what the presenter, who is a family court judge, said.

We often discuss the state of American culture and family and the break down of the traditional family on this board. I just thought it was an interesting comment from a guy who works in the field.

[thyme4change]

I think family court spends most of its time dealing with child custody issues.

[swamp]

Child custody, abuse and neglect, family offenses, adoptions, juvenile delinquency, and a few other random things.

[Deleted]

I'm reading a book called "Coming Apart" about the radical divergence in family lives between the married couples raising kids together and the couples that don't get married when they have children, or are single parents. It's eye-opening. It's hard to imagine that 40 or 50 years ago families that lived in poverty had the same structure, habits, went to the same schools, and lived in the same neighborhoods as families that didn't.

It must be tough to deal with social pathology all day long.

[Colleenz]

Probably made the comment because the divorce process is so jacked up. Everything is done by formulas with little judicial discretion. While I could see myself eventually entering into a committed relationship down the road, I will not ever get married.

[Nazgul Girl]

I think the comment is humorous and sad at the same time....and also so true.

[Deleted]

I find it stupid that gay people can't marry. They should have the freedom and right to be just as miserable as they would have been if they were born heterosexual. ;D

A 17 year old girl sung a song last night at the HS event. She sung about a girl she loved. And, she is completely out as a lesbian at school. Not a single kid in the room seemed to bat an eye. It was great to see the progression from when I was in HS in the late 80s and a girl brought another girl to the prom and it was the scandal of the school for weeks...

[midjd]

I tip my hat to anyone with the fortitude to practice family law or serve as a family court judge. I only deal with it peripherally, and just a few cases a month, but they are all so sad.

I've read through a few paternity/custody case summaries in which the case was filed 10-12 years ago and is still being battled out, and now the child is in weekly counseling and having problems at school because the parents are such fuckups.

Really makes me want to slap the crap out of some people...