My exwife’s legal fees, totalling close to $200,000 has been largely supplied by her mother.

Her mother and father spent 17 years in divorce court. One rich doctor sueing another rich doctor. As a consequence, her father had little access to his three daughters aged seven, ten, and twelve, resulting in his estrangement from his children. How painful is that?

He went on to remarry and now has two sons. This reminds of the advice I received from a psychiatrist “Mr. Marshall find another woman and have another baby.”

He did, I won’t. I love my son and I intend to be part of his life.

I mention this to show the family history of divorce. Even wealthy people are not immune to the terrible strains that the legal system puts on families. An adversarial system that leaves children as victims and lawyers rich. Can you imagine the legal fees for a seventeen year divorce? It’s a lawyers dream. Near the end my exwife’s father told me “It’s strictly a financial matter now.”

Now I have to ask myself, it’s been seven years already for me, do I have another ten years to go? Probably.

Here’s a joke: A used car salesman and a lawyer jump off a cliff. Which one hits the ground first? Answer: Who cares, it’s a used car salesman and a lawyer!

I’m a used car salesman and I feel my profession is unfairly characterized by society. My profession never caused family breakup or finacial ruin. I think you can guess how I feel about lawyers. The joke works better with two lawyers.

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On December 3 2008 I called my 7 year old son to tell him that we were going to West Edmonton Mall in 2 days. It has been 72 days since I have seen my son as per current court order. He was so excited.

He wants to bring the Wii game that I had bought him on his birthday two months earlier .I said ask your Mom. So he asks “MOM can I bring the Wii game to West Edmonton Mall? He then tells me “Mom said to ask THE LAWYER dad”. (Jane Hoffman)

My son told me he cried because he missed me. It has been 72 days since he has seen his dad. I asked if he had shared his feelings with his mother. He did tell her. His mother said  that the THE LAW would not let me see him,.What kind of answer is that for a child? How does that help him understand what is happening to him? I don’t blame my exwife, I blame the legal system for perpetuating the conflict between mother and father.

On December 25 2008 my son and I woke up at the West Edmonton Mall, we stayed in the truck room. All the beds were in the back of trucks, very cool. He asked me “Did you have a good sleep dad”. I said ya but I dreamed a lot because you got me to put on the nicotine patch. He asked about my dreams. “I dreamed that I was sitting at a table with your Mom.”

He laughed and said “Its just a dream dad.”

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