On Thursday March 28th in testimony to the Judiciary Committee a number of people made excellent suggestions about controlling Guardian ad litem costs and fees. Means testing, fee caps, regular bill reporting and ... oversight of billing by the management of the Judicial Branch would go a long way towards correcting the freewheeling ways of Guardians ad litem. As we know, these ideas are fairly simple - and not rocket science. Finance and many other Guardian ad litem issues should be fairly simple as no cost problems to fix.
The Judicial Branch faces a significant political problem. Make that HUGE. The political base, the support system, of the Judicial Branch is composed of the Legal Guild, lawyers, Guardians ad litem and Judges. Asking - or demanding - that any part of this base take a smaller, financial cut in divorce cases might be expected to result in a mass disaffection on the part of the Judicial Branch legal guild political base. It might cost the Judicial Branch the political support of the Legal Guild and the divorce industry. It could result in profound alienation of this Guild base with political consequences for the Judicial Branch leadership. The Guardian ad litem reform movement threatens to disrupt the previous balance between Judicial Branch management and their affluent, powerful base - the divorce industry.
This Judicial Branch - lawyer political dynamic might explain the powerful, under the radar opposition to real people oriented Guardian ad litem reform.
The care and feeding of its lawyer base is one explanation about why the Judicial Branch always seems to defer to its "stakeholders", the divorce industry, lawyers and Guardians ad litem. It may explain why the Judicial Branch allows its divorce industry "stakeholders" to dominate most of its planning committees for Guardian ad litem reform, such as the one from last Summer. It leaves the Judicial Branch paralyzed in the present situation and may explain why it does nothing - or at best the bare minimum. Pressure from the divorce industry not to change versus pressure from the "grass-roots" to change. The Judicial Branch is caught in a terrible bind.
The members of the divorce industry, including Guardians ad litem, make significant amounts of money off of divorcing couples. It is a multi-million dollar industry. Restrictions on the divorce industry of any kind could reduce their incomes. The current situation and its dynamics are in some ways similar to the robber barons of 19th century American history.
LD 522 is nothing less than a license to steal and plunder. It favors the legal Barons; not divorcing families and children. It is a gift from the Judicial Branch to its lawyer base. It allows the predatory wolves to keep their sheep's clothing!
It will require significant political pressure and moral pressure to overcome this resistance to change for the benefit of our Maine children and families.
For information on how to help stop LD522 from passing contact us at MeGALalertt@gmail.com or find up to date information on Facebook.
I wonder why anyone would be surprised that the lawyers would jump on the banwagon and support something like this. Follow the money.
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DeleteThere really is no surprise that lawyers support the bill. They understand the mechanics and it was constructed by lawyers for lawyers or those that are part of the legal system.
DeleteFollow the money, follow the power, follow the incompetence, cruelty and lack of accountability. LD522 protects lawyers, GAls, and others in the "divorce industry". It gives families a set of useless tools that won't work for them.
ReplyDeleteWatch which legislators support LD 522. Guess which profession they belong to?
Useless tools is the appropriate way to describe what Maine's families will have to deal with should LD522 pass. The bill will make it harder to correct defective behavior in Guardians ad litem. The process is geared towards the legal profession not those of use with no legal background.
DeleteReform is long overdue! LD522 is merely a means for lawyers to continue to get richer still off poor Maine families. Most GAL's are infact Lawyers themselves, so they get to "double-dip" on the turmoil and heartache of children and their unsuspecting families who hire them. They don't care about our children...we parents are the ones that love and care. How dare they send a GAL into my home to judge me as a parent, when she herself has a child in and out of state and federal prison multiple times. This is a royal slap in the face!! Where did they drag this woman from? If she cannot even take care of her own and raise her own child, why in the world is she "allowed" to come into mine or anyone else's home and judge us as a competent parent. Please!!! Do the right thing and do not support LD522. It will only go to serve those already robbing and raping the GAL program in Maine and across the entire country. We strongly oppose LD522, and we urge you to speak out in opposition as well. Thanks
ReplyDeleteSylvia, Thank you for testifying at the meeting on March 28, 2013. The points that you make here are correct. How can a Guardian ad litem with issues in her own family be expected to make decisions and recommendations on other families. Thank you for the thought inspiring comment. Write the Judiciary Committee and let them know that LD522 is good for GALs but bad for parents
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