Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Responsible for Maintaining Public Confidence in Judicial Branch

Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye Entrusted with Legacy of Chief Justice Ronald George to Preserve Court Access for Financially Disadvantaged

Four years ago today an historic vote was held in the California Senate Judiciary Committee. The final vote tally was was 3-2, allowing Assembly Bill 590 to move forward in the legislative process. AB 590 included the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act, which proposed to establish a pilot program for the appointment of legal representation for unrepresented low-income parties in civil matters involving basic human needs.

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Orange County Judge Admits Domestic Violence Laws Misused

In a recent Judicial Council publication, an Orange County judge inadvertently acknowledged that domestic violence laws are misued.

New Report from the Judicial Council of California

Domestic violence laws serve an important function, but here at the Family Court Accountability Coalition we are contacted regularly by self-represented family court litigants who have provided us with court records and other conclusive evidence that they have been falsely accused of domestic violence - almost always in cases where the opposing party is represented by an attorney.

FCAC has documented that to gain a tactical advantage in a divorce, many attorneys encourage their clients to make false spousal abuse accusations. An accusation of domestic violence can result in the reduction or elimination of temporary and post-judgment support obligations, one-sided child custody and visitation orders, and an inequitable division of community property.

One Party Self-Represented In More Than 75 Percent of Family Law Cases

Key Statistic Omitted from Elkins Task Force Final Report



Task Force Whitewashes Critical Statistic

In many California communities, more than 75 percent of family court cases have at least one self-represented party, according to the Elkins Task Force Final Report and Recommendations [pdf], released this month by the Judicial Council.

"Given the complexity of family law issues, why do people represent themselves? All too often they have no choice...What is at stake in the family court process are long lasting decisions that affect people's most fundamental and important aspects of their lives."

What the report conveniently doesn't mention, and apparently whitewashes is the number of family court cases in which one side has an attorney and the other doesn't. Based on our research and anecdotal evidence, that is the critical statistic.