The Father's Emergency Guide to Divorce-Custody Battle: A Tour Through the Predatory World of Judges, Lawyers, Psychologists & Social Workers, in the Subculture of Divorce [Paperback]

Robert Seidenberg (Author), William Dawes (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A powerful new book whose title says it all." -- Speak Out for Children, Newsletter of the Children's Rights Council, Winter '98

This is a dynamic book that lays bare the corruption of the multi-billion dollar "child-custody racket." It is a system of extortion and terror that reduces men to tears and leaves millions of children fatherless and at extreme risk--all the while enriching the coffers of lawyers, psychologists, and other family-destruction profiteers. Seidenberg shows how the system really works and what a father must do to protect himself and his children, without being totally devoured. If you are a father, or have ever considered the possibility of being one, read this book immediately! Your "right to the pursuit of happiness" may depend on it. -- Stuart A. Miller, Senior Legislative Analyst, American Fathers Coalition - Washington, DC

This is a startling book, and not altogether what one might expect. It is, as its title indicates, a self-help guide; but it is also a political manifesto that opens a window to a world of political struggle most people are unaware even exists.

Everyone has heard the story of a father devastated in divorce-custody litigation-losing his home and children, and driven to bankruptcy as a result of child support, alimony, and legal fees. Until now though, one might have thought these were isolated instances. In The Father's Emergency Guide to Divorce-Custody Battle, fathers'-rights activist Robert Seidenberg, writing with the legal insights of divorce-attorney William Dawes, starts with the assertion that an abusive legal culture is the norm, and that the brutalization of fathers in court is an everyday occurrence.

From the outset, The Father's Emergency Guide to Divorce-Custody Battle differentiates itself from other books on this subject by focusing, not on the written law, but on what actually happens in a divorce-custody conflict. It describes the typical patterns of behavior of the main actors in the drama -- fathers, mothers, judges, lawyers, psychologists, and social workers; and the typical patterns of events. Drawing on his own observations and those of attorney Dawes, and combining these with the results of formal studies, Seidenberg sets forth a series of disturbing revelations:

- Custody litigation begins with a brief "temporary" hearing at which custody, child support, alimony, and possession of the marital home are "temporarily" decided until a full trial can be held. But in truth, what happens at this hearing is unlikely to change even if you spend $100,000 on a full trial.

- Women initiate the great majority of divorces. What's more, they start interviewing lawyers and planning their move months before they initiate action. A father typically doesn't have a clue of what's going on until the day he is served with a summons.

- A custody dispute typically begins with a legalized kidnapping. Since the goal is to establish oneself as the primary caretaker, lawyers advise women to take the children and leave; or to get a protective order evicting the husband from the house; or to talk him into moving out "for a trial separation." Thus the mother can establish herself as the sole caretaker, and secure sole custody at the temporary hearing. Most lawyers will not give this advice to men. But some do, and this strategy can work for men as well.

- The great majority of domestic violence all egations and child sex abuse allegations made in custody litigation are false. They are made to gain advantage in custody, support, and property determinations.

- Most lawyers have never won custody for a father. This is especially true of expensive lawyers reputed to be the best in the business.

- Perjury is standard in domestic relations court. Lawyers know that perjury is never prosecuted and many will advise their clients accordingly. They tend to do this with women far more than with men.

- Many so-called custody disputes are not custody disputes at all. To avoid a costly court battle, many fathers concede custody right from the beginning, but then find they have to spend tens of thousands of dollars just to get "standard" visitation.

- "Child Support" is often exorbitant to the point of being financially crippling. It bears no relationship to the needs of the child, and for the average father it has the feeling of extortion. So-called "Deadbeat Dads" are really "Refugee Dads" who have been driven out of their children's lives by the courts and bureaucracies.

In explaining how all this scandal could occur on a national basis without coming to public attention, Seidenberg enters the political realm. In brief well-documented essays, he shows how feminist ideology dominates public discourse to such a degree that few people even realize there is another side to these issues.

The Father's Emergency Guide to Divorce-Custody Battle is a curious mix of practical advice and political commentary. It works because fathers in custody battle have "arrived at a turn in life where the personal and political coincide." This book is a valuable resource for litigants and lawyers; it is also a worthy contribution to discussion in the areas of judicial culture and gender studies. -- (The Liberator, Newsletter of the Men's Defense Association. December, 1997)

From the Publisher

There are dozens of divorce books by lawyers, but this is the first to combine a lawyer's expertise with the experience of a fathers'-rights activist who has endured the fire of custody litigation. This is an emergency guide because the actions you take at the earliest stages of your case are of critical importance, and because the outcome of your case can have long-term repercussions on every aspect of your life. This book gives you the tools you need to take command of your divorce-custody battle: it shows you how to hire a competent lawyer and avoid lawyers engaged in fee inflation; it tells you what to expect from psychologists, social workers, and guardians; it shows you how to prepare your case, how to act in court, how to write a custody agreement, and how to calculate child support. It reveals the strategy most often used to win custody.

But it also shows you a system that is dysfunctional and pervaded with corruption. And it confronts you with a stark truth: no matter what the facts may be in your case, no matter what lawyer you hire, no matter how much money you spend, there is a very real chance that you could end up bereft of your children and financially destitute. For this reason, this book also explores the larger social and political forces that have an enormous influence on judicial decisionmaking.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: JES Books (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965706206
• ISBN-13: 978-0965706209
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Law > Family & Health Law > Divorce & Separation
  • #84 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Relationships > Divorce
  • #86 in Books > Law > Practical Guides

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I Had Written This Book!, December 24, 1999

By 

Daniel B Dreblow (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Father's Emergency Guide to Divorce-Custody Battle: A Tour Through the Predatory World of Judges, Lawyers, Psychologists & Social Workers, in the Subculture of Divorce (Paperback)

As a Divorced Dad with a 13-year old son, I wish that I had read Mr. Seidenberg's book four years ago. I was the typical American male, hoping that a 21-year marriage would not end in divorce. In fact, not being able to believe that a divorce was possible.

My ex-wife took our son and moved out. If I had followed Mr. Seidenberg's advice, I would have aggressively protected my rights as a father. Instead, I went without legal representation for 90 days. BIG MISTAKE.

Any father should read this book even if a divorce is not expected in your future. When you have children, (I have three sons), they need to be instructed on how they can protect themselves and their children from what I call "Power Feminism." My ex-wife has a master's degree from SDSU in Social Work so she is a master.

In San Diego we face an incredibly male-negative family court system. I have started the Fatherhood Council,(available at [e-mail]), with the chief purpose of educating the public.

Mr. Seidenberg's book has just become a free gift as part of the membership package. Enjoy! Dan Dreblow

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for all fathers and husbands, May 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Father's Emergency Guide to Divorce-Custody Battle: A Tour Through the Predatory World of Judges, Lawyers, Psychologists & Social Workers, in the Subculture of Divorce (Paperback)

I only wish I had read this book 11 months ago when my wife had planned her divorce from me and got an advantage from the begining. I was a happy father with three beautiful children and was evicted from my home overnight. Thanks to Robert Seidenberg, he could have gave me a play by play move about my forced separation. I could relate to this book so much it was an erie feeling to read it, but it is 100% true. You can lose and will, eveything and be on the road to total disaster if you dont take his advice.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read This Book, February 24, 2000

By 

Daniel Lee (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Father's Emergency Guide to Divorce-Custody Battle: A Tour Through the Predatory World of Judges, Lawyers, Psychologists & Social Workers, in the Subculture of Divorce (Paperback)

I have a lot of experience with the divorce/custody system, and have read many books on it. This one is the best. It is written in an easy to understand manner, is backed by solid evidence, and more to the point, it provides must have information for any parent. This is due to the fact that custody is winner-take-all, and if you don't have the information in this book (if you are a father), you almost certainly will not win. I read this book when my custody case was 18mos old, I found my case followed the book like a movie script. I lost my custody case. My son now lives 1800 miles away from me, and I spent $30,000 to date for this. If I would have had "Emergency Guide to Divorce/Custody" before, or near the beginning of my case, the results would be quite different. I would be living in the same town as my boy, and I might have spent $5,000 to acheive that. The book will make that difference for you.