Judge orders reunification therapy in bitter custody dispute

While custody disputes in Wisconsin may sometimes become contentious, few become so bitter that they generate nationwide attention. Media outlets around the country reported in July 2015 that a family court judge had placed three children in a juvenile detention facility after they refused to eat lunch with their father, and the Michigan case continued to make headlines when the judge subsequently ordered the children to participate in reunification therapy.

Reunification therapy is controversial because it involves separating the children from their custodial parent and sending them to some form of retreat to undergo similar treatment to that given to individuals who have been brainwashed. Judges in several parts of the country have ordered this kind of therapy when they feel that one of the parents involved in a child custody dispute is having a detrimental impact on their children. The mother of the children in the Michigan case has made several accusations against her former husband including claims that he abused their 11-year-old son.

Critics of reunification therapy say that the process may do more harm than good because it separates children from the parent that they are most comfortable with and forces them to undergo what basically amounts to deprogramming. The judge in the Michigan case has ordered that the details of the court-ordered therapy be sealed, but observers say that such retreats sometimes cost as much as $10,000 per child.

Experienced family law attorneys may urge their clients to put aside their animosities and search for a compromise to avoid the stress, expense and uncertain outcome of a court hearing. Emotions can run high when divorcing couples discuss matters such as child custody, spousal support and property division, and attorneys often tread a delicate path as they strive to help their clients reach an amicable agreement.