“Make A Family Calendar:
Hang it wherever the children will see it, to show that you care. Make your children see that their lives are important to you and that they are your priority.

On the family calendar, list:
- Birthdates
- School schedules
- Other dates, such as dental appointments, dance recitals, sports games, and so on.

Establish Rules Such As The Following:
- Each parent must order his or her own tickets for children’s events.
- Each parent must make his or her own arrangements at school to get information. It is not up to your former spouse to do those things or provide information for you. It’s up to you to take the initiative.
- Don’t make your son or daughter into the man or woman of the house.
- Don’t turn your son or daughter into your best friend and confidant.
- Don’t fill the void in your bed by allowing your child to sleep there. If you eventually start a relationship and no longer allow your child into your bed because you are sharing it with someone else, the child could feel displaced.

If You Are The Noncustodial Parent, Here Are Some Ideas To Help You Maintain A Positive Relationship With Your Children:
- Some schools allow children to leave the grounds for lunch; you may be able to take them out to lunch without affecting your co-parent’s time.
- As much as you can, duplicate at your home the little things that your kids love at the custodial parent’s home–things like special Barbie dolls, books, and so on. Send out the message that you care. Duplicating items will remove the stress children may feel abouttaking their favorite things to the other parent’s home or about forgetting to bring them (but keep in mind that some items, like the favorite blanket or stuffed animal, can’t be duplicated).

Remember, your children still have two parents. They still have a family. It’s the dynamics that have changed and it’s up to parents to minimize the conflict and make transition as easy as possible.”

If you feel your timeshare arrangement should be revised contact Orlando Lawyer Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm today.

James’ attorney, John R. Schilling, told Us Weekly that if Lindemulder moves to Texas, where James, 42, and Sunny live, she’ll be ordered into an inpatient rehab facility. “If she decides not to move to Texas, she gets one weekend a month basically, with no overnights, but a total of 8 to 10 hours of monitored visitation in Texas with Sunny,” Schilling said.

“Jesse is very pleased with this decision,” his attorney added. “He feels that all along, he’s been saying what Janine needs is inpatient treatment, and until she faces up to to her own issues and problems, she’ll never be able to have a good relationship with her daughter. He feels totally vindicated with what the court has decided.

“This is great news compared to some of the other news he’s had this week,” Schilling added, referring to James’ split from von D, 29.

James and Lindemulder, a 42-year-old adult film actress, were married from 2002 to 2004. He was also married to Karla James from 1991 to 2002, and Oscar-winner Sandra Bullock from 2005 to 2010.

Orlando lawyer Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm aggressively represent husbands and fathers, if you are in need of legal representation in a family matter contact us today.

Spurred by the outcry from foreign parents separated from their children due to divorce 32 countries have been imploring Japan to join the treaty for some time. Included among these countries are the United States, Britain, and France. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives turned up the pressure on Japan by voting overwhelmingly for a nonbinding resolution that “condemns the abduction and retention” of children held in Japan “in violation of their human rights and United States and international law.”

Currently, Japanese law allows for only one parent to have custody of the children in divorce cases and that is nearly always the mother. This keeps some foreign fathers from seeing their children until they are grown. Activists of Japan joining the treaty say that this system has been positioned against fathers and foreigners for too long. The treaty will also protect custody decisions and ensure that the rights of access of both parents are protected.

The issue of Japan joining The Hague Convention is nothing new. It gained attention in 2009, when American Christopher Savoie was arrested in Japan after his Japanese ex-wife accused him of abducting their two children as they walked to school. His ex-wife Noriko Savoie had violated a U.S. court custody decision by kidnapping the children from Savoie, the primary residential parent, to live with her in Japan. The case against the father was eventually dropped in Japan.The Tennessean Paper has released an update, now two years later, on what has been done for Chris to bring his two children home. Click here to view the full article.

Christopher Savoie’s ex-wife has been ordered to pay the alienated father$6.1 million for damages. Obviously the father says that no money in the world can replace his close relationship with his children, but believes this recent judgment may open a door for his kids to be returned to him. His attorney, Joseph A. Woodruff said that while Japan won’t enforce U.S. judgments that pertain to custody or otherwise order Japanese citizens to “do the right thing,” they will enforce money judgments. “They will enforce orders that assess damages for breach of contract and civil wrongs,” Woodruff said. “This is a tool we’re going to try to use to convince Noriko Savoie she needs to do the right thing.”

While there are a number of other concerns surrounding the issue, such as how incidents of domestic abuse within the family will be handled with regards to custody, Japan seems to be poised to make strides toward promoting equal rights for both parents.

Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm believe that both parents should have equal opportunities within the law to see their children. If you’re concerned about your current custody arrangement contact us today to see how we can help defend your rights as a father.

Dr. Post Senning talks about special holidays, explaining that, “The kids shouldn’t be the ones solving the problem about what we do for different holidays.”  Be sure to prepare something special in advance that your child can do for the mother in their life.  American Greetings, Hallmark, and other e-greeting card sites such as 123Greetings offer a number of both print and e-greeting options that are either free or will fit into any budget.  E-greetings such as these are a great option for families who are separated by distance.

Hand-made cards and crafts are also a cherished gift and can be hand-delivered (giving the mother precious time with her children) or sent via traditional mail. Preparing home-made, unique tokens of affection such as these will give you and your child the opportunity for quality time while bringing your family unit closer together. If you need a boost of inspiration, there are a number of useful suggestions on websites like Mother’s Day Central or Crafts Kaboose on crafts and other projects.

With today’s ability to create home videos quickly and easily, take a tip from Adam, Sam, and Jonah’s father and record personalized messages to ensure a more sincere and heartfelt Mother’s Day.

If the mother is not present in the children’s lives Mother’s Day can be particularly difficult.  One tip is not to force your children to talk about their absent mother. That being said, be sure to give them the opportunity to discuss their feelings and then follow their lead. When the subject does come up, help them not to feel ashamed or afraid that there’s something wrong with them. “The most important thing is to tell your child it’s not their fault and remind them that the best thing she ever did was help them come to this planet. Even when they’ve failed us miserably, most people are doing the best they can with the resources they have,” says Carolyn Ellis, author of the New York Times bestseller: Thrive After Divorce.

Even if the children lack a close relationship with a traditional mother figure, there are many ways to still make this day a positive experience for the entire family. You can make the day special by celebrating other mothers surrounding the child, such as a grandmother, a close aunt, or a stepmother.  A number of online companies such as Blue Mountian offer special e-cards for these important non-traditional mothers.  A small gesture will go a long way toward these people who are often times integral to a child’s upbringing.

Attorney Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm hope that your Mother’s Day is filled with joy, laughter and love. Too many times when a family has been separated this day becomes a reminder of a parent’s failure or loss. If you are a father, it may be difficult to look beyond your disagreements and past frustrations with the mother of your children. You may not love her anymore, but your children certainly do and will love you all the more for making it easy for them to show her that. Hopefully, when it comes to Fathers Day, she will remember and respect your efforts and help your children to do the same for you.

USA Today reports on Charlie Sheen’s latest court appearance to address the custody of his two children, Bob and Max Sheen.  Sheen was racing coast-to-coast yesterday, but what exactly happened during Sheen’s day in court yesterday? Although Sheen’s custody hearing was sealed and Judge Goldberg decided to hold the hearing behind closed doors, saying it would be in the “best interest of the children,” details have emerged revealing that L.A. Superior Court Judge Goldberg denied Sheen’s request.

The judge was aware that Mueller had recently relapsed into drug use.  The Baltimore Sun reports that even though the twins’ mother was ordered to take periodic drug tests, she refused last Friday and is said to be back in outpatient rehab. 

To make matters worse, Mueller was recently seen at a pawn shop attempting to sell off a watch and stereo but was denied because she didn’t have a valid id, says pawn shop employee, Jack Feldman. To view the surveillance video, click here.  Why Brooke is in the desperate need of cash is a mystery. Charlie Sheen pays her $55,000 a month in child support. Click here to read more.

Sheen and his attorney planned to argue that Mueller’s latest drug relapse proves that she is currently unfit to care for their kids.  Mueller’s mother, Marie Fiore, is said to be caring for the children, however, TMZ reports that Sheen’s ex-wife, Denise Richards, has offered to let them live with her, informally, until things stabilize.

Judge Goldberg was equally disturbed by Charlie’s past substance abuse and the fact that he bragged about it, sources told TMZ. The judge decided the couple will continue to share custody under the existing agreement. Click here to read the full article.

Jimmy Kimmel weighed in on the issue last night: “I never thought I’d say this, but I think those kids would be better off living with the Octomom.”  Click here to view the last appearance of Sheen on the Jimmy Kimmel Show where he planted a big kiss on an unexpected Kimmel.

A few details also emerged from Sheen’s Warner Bros./Chuck Lorre lawsuit hearing yesterday (which Sheen did not attend). E! reports that lawyers argued Sheen should be able to make his case at a public trial, not private arbitration. But John Spiegel, lawyer for the studio, argued Sheen hadn’t put that in his 2003 contract.

Spiegel said in court that there were “long and protracted” contract talks. Sheen “had a long list of things he wanted.”

Among the things that Sheen wanted and got, according to Spiegel, were $2 million an episode for a guaranteed 48 episodes; a narrowing of his morality clause; use of the corporate jet; a private hair stylist; and a pass from the first day of rehearsals.

The judge has 30 days to make a ruling on whether the case will be hashed out behind closed doors or not.

Attorney Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm are disappointed in the recent allegations and events occurring in this long custody battle case.  We believe that the best interest of the children should always come first and the parents should make it a priority to protect them from the public eye.

The Court has ordered a strict visitation schedule between Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller. Frequent drug and alcohol tests are required of both parents.

Charlie Sheen and ex-wife Brooke Mueller have come to terms in their custody dispute over Bob and Max, their 2-year-old twin sons, with a strict, step-by-step plan.  Click here to read the full article by Us Magazine.

Court documents recently filed in Los Angeles Superior Court (unearthed by TMZ) detail how the former couple — Sheen assaulted her on Christmas Day in 2009, and they’ve both battled drug and alcohol addictions — will share their little boys.

For the first two months, Sheen, 45, gets the boys every other weekend from Saturday morning until Sunday evening. In the next two months after that, Sheen will have his boys every other weekend from Saturday morning through Monday morning. After that? As long as Sheen Mueller stay drug-and-alcohol free, the former Two and a Half Men star gets the twins every other weekend Saturday through Monday morning, plus Wednesday morning through Thursday morning.

Both Sheen and Mueller must submit to random drug testing three times monthly. Both mom and dad are required to have nannies with them at all time in the presence of their kids.

Charlie’s famous “goddesses” are even included in the terms: They’re not allowed to show any public displays of affection toward the twins. In addition, neither Sheen nor Mueller are allowed to be photographed with the boys while with a romantic partner.

Can’t get enough of the latest Charlie Sheen news?

Charlie Sheen – the highest-paid television actor before being fired from the CBS hit show, Two and a Half Men– has been blasted all over the news due to his bizarre spree of outrageous television interviews, nonsensical webcasts and threatening tweets.

Charlie’s twitter account, opened March 1st, has amassed over 2.3 million followers.  Sign up today and you will be treated to messages such as:

• “101 and on the black. 50 cops in my home. they all left. I’m still here. WINNING? 24/7 c”
• “the global inferno that is me, is now as molten and focused as my afterburners.”
• “Torpedo away… You corporate Trolls were warned. And now you’ve been served! c”

 Alec Baldwin had some advice and a warning for fellow actor Charlie Sheen. In a column for The Huffington Post March 13, 2011, Baldwin — like Sheen a star who has faced a bit of controversy — told Sheen, “You can’t win. You can’t.” Sheen, he said, should “Take a nap. Get a shower. Call Chuck [Lorre, the show producer]. Go on Letterman and make an apology. Write a huge check to the B’Nai Brith. And then beg for your job back. Your fans demand it.”  Visit ABC News for full article and pictures.

The lastest news to hit the press is Sheen’s recent tour of insanity – officially known as “My Violent Torpedo of Truth/ Defeat Is Not an Option Tour“ –  not going so well at their first stop in Detroit. 

As Entertainment Weekly reported, the show began with “a crowd that greeted the actor with an adoring standing ovation and concluded with booing and walk-outs. The padded and disjointed show was a hodgepodge of video clips and Sheen-isms that felt hastily assembled and misjudged the patience of even the hardest of hardcore fans.”

Celebrities know how to make a presence and cause a stir inside the courtroom, as well as outside.  Click here to view the top 11 Celebrity Family Feuds.

Attorney Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm firmly believe in making all family law suits as quick and painless as possible.  There are so many emotions and stresses present when going through a divorce, paternity action or modification.  Contact us today should you need personal and professional support through times that are highly emotional, but require calm and reasoned decision-making.

National Fatherhood Inititative’s mission is to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible, and committed fathers.  They strive to ensure a brighter future for America’s youth.  By equipping and educating fathers, they’re working on an issue that is at the core of our nation’s well-being. 

Check out the resources from NFI’s “Tech Savvy Daddy” campaign here, which will be updated with more information/tips every week this month.

Last week, their focus was on “Mobile Connections,” or using text messaging to connect with teens. A recent Pew Research Study found that 75% of teens have a cell phone. Most of them have text messaging capability, and boy do they use it! 54% of teens texted their friends daily in 2010 (skyrocketing from only 38% who texted daily in 2008!). One out of three send more than 100 text messages daily!

For those of you who are fathers of teenagers, you probably feel like their thumbs are glued to their phone. But, as NFI’s Dad Email last week pointed out, if texting is teenagers’ primary means of communicating, why not speak their language? We put together a list of text messages that dads can send their teens to encourage them and build their relationship.

Try sending one or two of the following text messages to your teen this week:

• Hey, just wanted to let you know I love you
• What are you up to this weekend?  I’d love to hang out with you – maybe we can shoot some hoops at the school on Saturday.
• Let’s grab some ice cream after dinner tonight – you game for that?
• I’m so proud that you’re my son/daughter.
• Good luck on your test today.  You’re doing a great job in school this year – I’m really proud of you.
• How’s your day going?  I love you!
• Hang in there, I know it’s been a busy week.  You’re doing great!
• You looked really nice this morning.  I’m a really lucky dad to have a beautiful daughter like you.
• Great job at your soccer game yesterday.  I had fun watching you on the field!

The point we got out of this is, dads: it’s simple. Your kids don’t need something incredibly profound from you. They just want to know that you’re thinking about them, that you love them, and that you want to spend time with them. (As busy as your teenagers are, they actually do want to spend time with you, too.)

One text I got back from a teen whose dad is not very involved hit on a much deeper issue. What would be meaningful for this teenager would be “for him to realize what he has put me through and to want to change that.” Clearly, there are years of hurt that need to be undone in this relationship and a couple text messages aren’t going to do much, but I think a little effort on the part of this dad to move closer to his child would do a lot.

Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm wholeheartedly believe in devoting your time to your children and making a daily effort to show them how much you love, support and appreciate them.  As NFI would say, “A little investment in your teen’s life will go a long way. Even if it’s as simple as a text message to say ‘I love you.’”

According to Business Insider, Palm Beach gossip pages are salivating over the news that Elin Nordegren has a found a new home that’s just ten miles from ex-husband Tiger Woods’ new digs … and nearly twice as big.

The couple finalized their divorce in August 2010. In the settlement, the parents agreed to live near one another for the sake of their children, Sam and Charlie.  Sticking to her promise to keep daughter Sam, 3, and son Charlie, 2, close to their dad, Nordegren’s new digs are just minutes away from Woods’ $50 million bachelor pad on Jupiter Island.

Tiger Woods briefly talked about parenthood with Good Morning America host and former ESPN anchor Robin Roberts.

Robin Roberts: Is it that what is important has changed or that you have found the balance you’ve been striving to find?

Tiger Woods: Well I think that I am more present. I’m present with my kids and that’s important to be with them each and everytime I’m with them, to feel that and be connected to them. And to see their joy on their faces, whether it’s Sam dancing, creating things and coloring, rearranging furniture and all that stuff. And then I got my little brute over here who wants to do nothing but play sports, anything with sticking a ball…he’s happy. So the different dynamics there and being present for that is something that I need to be for the rest of my life.

Robin Roberts: How is it for you to be a single dad and balancing the career that you have with doing that?

Tiger Woods: It’s work, it’s no doubt. It’s tough but enjoyable. That’s the work that I love, I just love being with them and seeing what they’re doing and what they’re capable of doing, the joys and the shifts of interests, you know? That’s what’s just fun. We have a great time together.

Elin’s new 17,000-square foot homestead sits behind the gates of the exclusive Seminole Landing community in North Palm Beach, Florida near Woods’ new palatial beachfront spread in Jupiter Island.  Click to see photos of Tiger’s lair

Nordegren’s new house doesn’t have a driving range and putting greens, but it does have a 4,000-sq. ft. basement, a rarity for beach front property. According to reports, she paid $12.2M for the house, but will owe about $300,000 a year in property taxes.

As part of their divorce settlement, Elin also holds the $54 million mortgage on Tiger’s new mansion and reportedly owns another $2M home in Sweden.

The golf pro has pushed forward in his life and has a new girlfriend, 22-year-old Alyse Lahti Johnston, an aspiring golf pro.

Managing Attorney, Jeffrey Feulner, and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm applaud Nordegren’s decision to keep the children close to their father, despite how she may be feeling about Tiger’s non-marital affairs.  We believe more mothers and fathers should look past their disagreements and focus on the best interest of their children for a healthy co-parenting relationship.

A Chicago court has granted Dwyane Wade the sole ‘care, custody and control’ of his two sons with ex-wife, Siohvaughn Wade whom he separated in August 2007 but was only officially divorced in June 2010.  

The court granted Wade the sole custody last Friday explaining its decision in a 102—page ruling in which the tone of words according to the Associated Press was a ‘sharp’ attack to wade’s estranged wife.  Read more….

Fathers & Families report:  After two years of rancorous court battles, the Miami Heat star has been named primary custodian of his two sons.  It orders that Wade will have primary custody of the two boys and his ex-wife, Siohvaughn will have visitation every other weekend and various times throughout the year.  Calling the decision a “huge weight off my back,” the Miami guard added,

“My life changed in a huge way,” Wade told the AP. “Mentally, I’ve been preparing for it for over a year now. To me, it’s bigger than that. For me, it shows a lot of people that you need to fight to be in your kids’ lives sometimes. You fight until you can’t fight any more. That’s all I was trying to be, a father in my kids’ lives.” 

Those words sound a lot like what we often hear dads say about their kids and their desire to be part of their lives post-divorce.  But of course the ending of most custody cases is different from Wade’s.  That’s in part because of Wade himself who, throughout the case, has seemed to me to be a thoroughly decent man.  Among other things, he’s often said that he wants his sons to have a healthy relationship with their mother.

But again, a lot of dads are decent men who promote their kids’ relationships with their mother.  So few of them get custody, though.

Perhaps the main difference is the behavior and claims of Siohvaughn Wade that have been both extreme and inaccurate to the point of defamation.  That in fact is what Dwyane Wade sued her for when she claimed he transmitted to her an STD.  That turned out to be false and she withdrew the claim in the face of his lawsuit.

Far worse has been her behavior with their children about which Judge Renee Goldfarb wrote,

“This court finds that [Siohvaughn Wade] has embarked on an unstoppable and relentless pattern of conduct for over two years to alienate the children from their father, and lacks either the ability or the willingness to facilitate, let alone encourage, a close and continuing relationship between them.”

Doubtless the crowd that wants us to believe that every attempt by a father to demonstrate in court his wife’s alienating behavior is just an abuser seeking to prolong his abuse, can explain how Dwyane Wade fits that mold.  Or maybe they’ll just try to ignore this high-profile case and hope the rest of us won’t notice.

One of the truly bizarre sidelights of the case was Siohvaughn’s claim that Dwyane didn’t really want a relationship with the boys because he didn’t work in Chicago where they were living. 

Exactly what her ex-husband’s profession is must somehow have escaped her notice as did the fact that the Chicago Bulls have never offered Wade a job.  Playing in the NBA isn’t like working for IBM where you can just request a transfer.  The claim looks like a sure indication of a litigant with a lousy case grasping at straws.

Whatever the case, I wish Wade the best of luck in his new role as primary custodian of his sons.  From where I sit, they’ll have a fine role model to emulate even if they can’t match his skills on the court and for all I know, maybe they can.

And let’s all hope that Siohvaughn Wade mends her ways.  Let’s hope she understands that the war is over and she lost.  Let’s hope that realization will spur her to start putting the children first and encouraging their relationship with their father.  For what it’s worth to her, if she does that, she’ll put herself in position to have increased time with them later.

Managing Attorney, Jeffrey Feulner, and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm applaud a victory of this magnitude and we praise the Illinois judge for considering the facts and acts of parental alienation committed by their mother.  If you or someone you know is in need of an attorney who will aggressively fight for Fathers, Families, Fairness - contact us today for a complimentary pre-screening interview and assessment of your case.

Missed our last blog on this issue?  To learn more about how Wade’s divorce was finalized and all child-related issues were put on hold, click here to visit our blog: “Dwyane Wade ‘Relieved’ Now That Divorce is Finalized.”

Peer pressure isn’t something a lot of 100+ year-olds worry about, but it should be a focus of dads who are raising pre-teens and teenagers.  Talk to your kids about what to look for in friends, and communicate with your children that they can always come to you.  Role play different situations that may arise, and love your kids like crazy.  Click here to read the full article.

To learn more ways to teach your children to stand up against peer pressure, please click here for 10 different tips to help your child have their own voice. 

Managing Attorney, Jeffrey Feulner, and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm urge you to take some time with your children to explain what you have been through and how you were able to overcome peer pressure.

Watch the video below on Dealing with Peer Pressure: