Bankrupt! Family Court ordered psychiatric assessments
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$6,000 - $35,000 for "assessment" Psychiatry damages society and individuals by financially bankrupting families with court ordered junk science psychiatric assessments in child custody and divorce cases. |
Introduction:
- Mothers in child custody disputes will get their lawyer to ask the court for a family "assessment" by a "Psychologist". This takes 30-100 hours at $200-500 per hour, and costs the family up to $35,000. All the while mothers have custody of the kids, fathers pay for it and pop psychologists get rich! Men do it too, but it is rare for obvious reasons.
- There are no clear well defined measurements that a Psychiatrist, Psychologist or social worker uses to determine if you are sane or a good parent. It is purely subjective and prone to a wide range of influences including personal bias, if the Psychologist is a friend of the lawyer and how quickly the dad pays up the money.
- An entire industry has been created because judges are now routinely granting these psychiatric assessments in child custody and divorce cases.
- The Psychiatry industry cannot believe its good fortune in being welcomed, for the first time in their short history, into the mainstream of respect, credibility and power. Of course this is a huge mistake and families not only pay in cash, but in the destruction of their family lives at the hands of these psychiatric assessments.
A. A stalling technique and defensive tactic used by parents:
- Both husbands and wives use this evil tactic of making false charges in court to gain an advantage of the other in custody cases.
- However, there are so many documented cases of mothers falsely charging their former husbands of physical and sexual abuse of them and the children, it has become an epidemic. It is also evil. It is breaking the ten commandments that say: "Thou shalt not bear false witness." But since so many people have stopped going to church, they have no moral values any more and likely have never heard of the "Ten Commandments".
- One case involved a woman who admitted to making false allegations for the specific purpose of gaining sole custody of the children to the judge. Apart from a few sharp words from the judge, she did not pay for this crime. In fact her case is being used as a model for other mothers to follow, now that they know they can falsely charge their husbands with sexual abuse of the children, get immediate sole custody, without consequences.
- Since assessments take 30-40 hours, they take 30 - 40 weeks, if you meet with the "assessor" only one hour a week! During this time the status quo is not changed until the assessment is submitted to the court.
B. Costs of an "assessment":
- Once charges have been made, parents or individuals are ordered to have a psychiatric assessment.
- The cost of this assessment is paid by the parents. Sometimes the government will pay for the assessment under some circumstances and in come jurisdictions.
- These "assessments" cost between $6,000 - $35,000. They take 30-40 hours at $200-$500 per hour, depending on the person doing the assessment.
- Although it is against the law, there seems to evidence in a few cases of a buddy referral system between lawyers and certain "court certified assessors". Generally this can be overcome when both parties take an active role in choosing the person doing the assessment. Abuses are rare under these circumstances. However, abuses can happen (not that they always do) when parents rely entirely on the advice of their own lawyers. Remember, all the lawyers know each other on a personal basis in most towns. Take the initiative to search out an assessor you feel will do a good impartial job.
- There is also evidence that in some cases, the cost of this assessment can be tied somewhat to the income level of the parents paying for the assessment. For example, if a lawyer can see that a couple who come to him for a divorce have no money, he will settle the case sooner and cheaper, than if the parents have high incomes. The same seems to be true to some degree, with "court certified assessors" who milk wealthy parents of more money than poorer, for the same type of case. This may be rare, but parents need to realize that there are a few corrupt lawyers that might take advantage of you.
C. "Assessments" are subjective without a scientific measurable standard.
- Of course the biggest problem with these psychiatric assessments is that there are no measurable scientific standards by with to determine if a family is sane or mentally ill, normal or dysfunctional. It all comes down to a single person making a value judgement on your life, based upon his own frame of reference and bias in life.
- There are many examples of "assessments" that are introduced into court, that are so bad, that even the judge throws it out as worthless "junk pop-science".
- "officially authenticated diagnoses regularly function as evidence in legal proceedings of all kinds, and their medical validity is rarely if ever questioned." (Psychiatry: The Science of Lies, Thomas Szasz, 2008 AD, p 5)
- These assessments are where a person sits and talks with you (or you and your spouse) for 30 hours and "gets a feel" for your mental stability, ability to raise children, function in life's general activities and then gives his opinion.
- Often these assessments are not even performed by people with formal training in psychiatry. (Not that that would make them any better) They merely have a general arts degree in sociology or maybe a "certificate" from a two week course in counseling.
- The bottom line is, "assessments" based upon a pseudo social science that is every changing and shifting its values.
Conclusion:
- "Assessments" can be used as a stalling and delaying tactic in child custody and divorce settlement cases.
- They cost the family $6,000-35,000. This alone is enough to bankrupt many families.
- At 30-40 hours, they take 30 - 40 weeks, if you meet with the "assessor" only one hour a week.
By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.
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