Dear Judge, Children's Letters to the Judge

Often parents must say no to children because of a court order.

Other parents use the judge and the court order to erect barriers between the children and the other parent.

We think the children write their letters in an attempt to fix the things that make them or the parents they love sad.

The family court system handles a staggering caseload.

Additionally, unlike most other litigation, the decision is never final. Often a family remains in court in one capacity or another for fifteen years. In an attempt to keep some order to the communications from individuals to the court a procedure must be followed.

Any communication arriving on a judge's desk that has not followed the proper procedure, cannot be considered by the judge.

During research for our books on child custody we have acquired a number of communications from children to judges. Most judges read the letters from children, but often are unable because of the law, to even consider the child's request.

This little book was put together to remind us to listen and to hear the children we love so much.

Many of the letters we have are too dispiriting to print.

But we hope the ones we have offered here will make you laugh and think.

I hope these letters mean as much to you as parents as they did to the judges that trusted me with these letters.