Word of the Month for April 2018: Disneyland Parent

Ain't love grand?  First there's the dating, Then the courtship, then the wedding, the wife thing, kids, house/mortgage, vacations, cars, clothes, in-laws and toys.  Lots and lots of toys.  

Imagine, then, when a person gets divorced and one ex has more expendable "resources" than the other. 

Imagine, then, when the kids come home from the ex who has more expendable resources and the kids are saying stuff like: Well, [the other] parent lets us stay up to midnight and buys us all the candy we can stand and takes to (pick the amusement part of your choice).  

Yeah, it can make for a real nightmare.  

This all brings us to our word of the month: DISNEYLAND PARENT.  According to Black's Law Dictionary, a DISNEYLAND PARENT is:

A noncustodial parent who indulges his or her child with gifts and good times during visitation and leaves most or all disciplinary responsibilities to the other parent; esp., a noncustodial parent who provides luxuries that the custodial parent cannot afford but performs no disciplinary duties, in an effort to gain or retain the child's affection. Also termed Santa Claus dad.  See Lollipop syndrome.

Maybe you don't have kids but I'm betting you've heard of similar terms like Sugar Daddy or Sugar Mama.  Same thing.

Anyway, Dad comes into the library a while back.  I remember this Dad because he spent a hour complaining about how for years his ex was always taking the kids to the amusement parks or buying luxury toys.  

Then, one day, he gets a call from one of his kids (she was about 13 at the time).  Seems kid got tired of the bribes, the trips to the zoo and stuff, and just wanted to be with dad.

Problem was, ex-mom had custody.  So, Dad is looking to see how he can get custody of his kid(s). While I can't give legal advice, what I can suggest (and what I did suggest) Dad look at is/was:

• How to Solve Divorce Problems in California (NP Occidental)
• Modern Child Custody Practice (Lexis)
• California Child Custody Litigation And Practice (CEB)
• California Civil Practice: Family Law Litigation (TR)

and off and running was Dad to regain a reality-based relationship with his kid(s).

You've got troubles (family or otherwise), your local county law library has solutions.  When next your next problem raises its ugly head, why not take a deep breath and head on over to your local county law library and see what we've got that can help you.