Dear Ms. Richardson:

Thank you for the copies of the book you couriered to my office. It was very generous of you and I do appreciate it. I will see if I can forward them to people involved in this area in the hope that the message gets through and helps at least one family. It is sad that so tragic a circumstance had to occur and that, despite your best efforts, nothing could stop the damage being done to your son.

I can tell you that my conversations with clients that are even passively influencing their children against the children’s other parent have a new urgency after reading your book. My clients are responding accordingly as I call upon their love of their child(ren) to ensure that what they say and do not say is supportive of the other parent’s relationship with their child. I am noticing a distinct difference in their response as they ask me to take steps to relay the same message to counsel for the other parent.

In the meantime, a group of Vancouver family lawyers have taken steps to incorporate a society of Parenting Coordinators to act as referees, in high conflict cases. The Parenting Coordinators are family lawyers, psychologists and counsellors trained in mediation and arbitration. The parties sign a contract which lasts as much as two years and retain the Parenting Coordinator to resolve disputes regarding children, promptly, by attempting mediation and, when that fails, by arbitrating disputes. We hope that this will reduce the level of conflict children are exposed to and reduce the length of time any particular conflict takes to resolve. Of course, decisions that are arbitrated are subject to review by the courts, but the standard of review is such that we expect only decisions that are clearly wrong will be set aside.

The courts are supportive of the Parenting Coordinators and we are already seeing Judges and Masters encouraging parties to use them.

I believe your book will be helpful in educating the courts and counsel about the dangers of not dealing aggressively with signs of child alienation. I am much more than just saddened that you had to endure the experiences you detail within it, but hopeful that it will enlighten those who are in a position to help others. I appreciate your courage and the phenomenal strength it must have taken to complete the book.

Sincerely,

North Shore Law
Per: Patricia Bond