The Making of “Heidi’s Law” is underway — Here’s what we have so far. Care to join the cause? Have a story of your own to tell? This is the Time, This is the Place.

My last few posts on this site will provide the context and background for the shaping, and eventual passing of a new domestic violence-child custody law which for now, is named “Heidi’s Law.”

We are now a group comprised of two volunteer attorneys — one a trial lawyer the other a family law attorney — three family therapists one court child custody mediator, and four domestic violence counselors and case managers.

What we have so far is a working draft of a law — a hybrid of family law and domestic violence law — that punishes a parent for manipulating child custody as an extension of his domestic violence during the marriage/divorce process, resulting in child estrangement from the victim parent.

Just as importantly, allows domestic violence restraining orders and punishments to be dispensed to any extended family member of either divorcing party, or co-worker, friend, associate, church leader, family member or significant other who meddles in or provides aid, support, alibi or cover stories for that domestic violence perpetrator in provoking, establishing, or escalating child estrangement from the victim parent.

Thirdly, “Heidi’s Law” will include monetary sanctions for the guilty party using death insurance actuarial tables and algorythyms to determine the monetary value of the abused parent’s lost time and relationship with their child as a result of the above stated manipulations and law violations. This is a new, more focused and more stringent set of punishments for child estrangement and any party who has helped the offending parent can also be arrested and criminally prosecuted and punished using those same insurance tables as restorative justice for the parent who has suffered from the manipulated child estrangement.

Fourth, any persons or divorcing parties who knowingly and willingly provoke, establish or escalate child estrangement within the framework of a divorce or child custody arrangement shall be charged with child abuse, and criminally prosecuted, retroactive to 1994.

Soon we will be gathering the initial round of necessary signatures, and asking for community involvement, advertising and endorsements.

Do you have a story to tell? Would you benefit from “Heidi’s Law?”

Heidi’s Law will grandfather in past cases going back to 1994, and includes cases where the children of the child estrangement manipulation can also sue for damages from the offending parent if they are now adults.

Much much more to come on this, and I’ll be posting here as well as direct-mailing updated newsletters to any and all — individual or advocacy groups — who want to have a voice in this very timely, and long-overdue, family law.

Contact Heidi Hansen to participate, tell us your story, or donate supplies or monies for this cause at dog.hotel.hansen@gmail.com, call 360-335-4939, and thank you.