Indiana DRC reviews 2013 Parenting Time Guidelines Power Point - Ideas for future projects.

Members of the Domestic Relations Committee [DRC] of the Indiana Judicial Conference met today at the Indiana Judicial Center for the purposes of reviewing the IPTG Power Point presentation for judges and also to conduct other business. The power point helps to guide judges through the changes to the Guidelines and presents various scenarios for applying the amended rules. There was not a quorum present and no action was taken on matters requiring a vote.

Judge Lynn Murray of the Howard County Superior Court has assumed the responsibility of the chairmanship of the committee following the departure of Judge William Fee at the end of his term.

In developing the IPTG Power Point the members were cognizant of the use of terminology and direction to help judges understand some of the broad concepts that drove many of the amendments. Particularly being stressed is that the IPTG are a guideline and are to be used to assist judicial officers, practitioners and parents in crafting a unique parenting time agreement or order that satisfies their individual needs. The parties are also being referred to as “mother” and “father” and the committee is seeking to cleanse the long held misuse of mother as custodial and father as non-custodial parents from the common vernacular of the judiciary.

The committee chose to leave out portions relating to bonding and attachment theory based upon not having consensus from social scientists on whether children being transferred between parents can adequately bond and its relationship to attachment theory. There is substantial disagreement among sociologists on this issue. Some follow strict adherence to the concept that interruption in the daily routine in a single household prevents adequate bonding that inhibits neural networking and is harmful to the child. However, adherents to the opposite end of the spectrum argue that parental bonding requires that a child have consistent frequent interaction between both parents and households. Further, that an adversities that may result from multiple households can be ameliorated through having comfortable and familiar items such as a favourite blanket/bedding, teddy bear, or toys accompany the child.

During the Spring Judicial College Conference, to be held on Wednesday 17 April 2013, Judge William Fee will be presenting the IPTG Power Point to the members present. I plan to try to add the power point to my website after the conference.

The committee also reviewed current legislation affecting family law and ideas for future projects. One upcoming project will be the 2014 review of the Indiana Child Support Guidelines.

The next meeting of the is scheduled for 15 March 2013, 10:30 a.m. at the Indiana Judicial Center, 30 South Meridian Street. The agenda will include a review of the implementation of the new Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines that will become effective on 01 March 2013. If you would like to attend the meeting please contact me so your name can be added to the guest list at the security desk.

Future meeting dates for 2013 are;
15 March
17 May
19 July
16 August
18 October
15 November
All meetings are held on Friday's

I offer assistance to parents who would like to have the 2013 Guidelines applied to their current custody order whether by agreement or contested and also whether represented by an attorney. If you would like to change your custody order to adopt the 2013 guidelines then please visit my website and contact my scheduler to make an appointment to meet with me.

If you would like to follow my activities more closely then send a friend request to my Political FaceBook page.

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More information about child custody rights and procedures may be found on the Indiana Custodial Rights Advocates website.

©2008, 2013 Stuart Showalter, LLC. Permission is granted to all non-commercial entities to reproduce this article in it's entirety with credit given.