The other parent has withheld my children from me for almost a year, classic parental alienation case. I just finished filling out all the standard paperwork to request custody and pay child support.

In my state it is nearly 80 pages of forms that need to be submitted.

The shocking part is that this is just to start the case. It is the FIRST step.

The lawyers I spoke to all charge more than $300 an hour. Imagine how much it would cost to prepare 80 pages of documents, go back and forth with the client and file them with the court.

If the other parent decides to fight it is very easy to accumulate hundreds of pages of documents that need to be drafted and filed with the court.

It should not be this complicated, expensive and difficult for a child to see their parent.

THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO CHANGE