amazon.com/author/cherylkelmar

Topics include abortion, child support, the custody evaluator, family law, DNA testing while pregnant, and more. To hear my story and call for court reform select the Buy Now button from the upper header or the Shop button for the right panel.

 

Upon paying my family law attorney thousands of dollars, I chose to go into court as a pro per regarding the visitation schedule for my 6 month year-old baby who had his first two week visit with his dad while I was still nursing and he had never been away from me.

 

I went to the court to ask my family law judge if I could visit my son during his dad's two week visit to nurse. I thought it was a minor request. I didn't ask that his dad receive less time with his son, only to help my baby have a better experience. ...and for this, The judge threw me into a 3 1/2-year custody battle, stripping me of my time to work on my business after writing NIH SBIR grants for four years.

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...and I was right. My baby came back after two weeks with his dad crying hysterically and calling out for me even when he was lying right next to me. To calm him down, I nursed and made eye contact, and after about a week he calmed down. His father then didn't visit his son for over 6 months while I weaned my baby so he could have a calmer experience with his dad. ...and my new business opportunity suffered substantially.​

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TIP: Settle your custody matters on your own terms—don’t fuel the profits of family law attorneys who often thrive on conflict and complication.​​

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Judge ALEC later called my legal case for child support "frivolous"—ignoring 62 pages of evidence, including five signed settlement agreements. My story is not unique. Many middle-class women who choose not to abort find themselves punished by a broken system. The family court system is failing us, and outdated, unaccountable judges are inflicting real harm on real lives. I discuss these issues and propose practical solutions in my book, The Judge’s Oath.