Bernard Grech requires a upkeep reform and warns that delays within the household courtroom alienate mother and father from their youngsters
Opposition leader Bernard Grech has called for a reform of the way maintenance is calculated as part of a major reorganization of the Maltese family courts.
“It cannot be for judges to decide how much maintenance to pay on an ad hoc basis without clear measurements,” Grech said today at NET FM. “There are people who are forced to pay child support they cannot afford and others who pay less than they can afford.”
Grech, a family lawyer by profession, also called for delays in the family court to be cut, warning that protracted custody battles result in parents being denied the right to see their children for years.
“If I sell you a bad piece of furniture and it takes the courts four years to pay me damages, that’s fine. However, if I am denied access to my daughter for a year or two, it is a time that for me and her will never return. “
“If politicians really care about people, we have to put these issues at the center of our politics.”
Happy Parenting Malta NGO for happier children recently launched a 17-day campaign to raise awareness of parental alienation, which is particularly problematic for fathers.
The opposition leader made his position known after Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that the minimum length of time couples must be separated before they can get divorced will be reduced from four years to six months.
Grech, who fought against the divorce before the 2012 referendum, accused Abela of trying to use this law to “sow divisions within the PN”.
“This shows how flat the Prime Minister is. I was against the proposed divorce law in 2012 and he now realized it needed to be changed but he thought we would speak out against it. How could I oppose this when I am in contact with public opinion? “
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