Dad fights for fathers’ right Says Alabama’s custody laws need overhaul

By Jamon Smith

Tuscaloosa resident Steve Kneussle holds a sign outside the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse on Friday to protest Alabama’s family law system. Kneussle, 30, is a divorced father with two young daughters. “Right now current laws in place don’t adequately protect father’s rights," he said.

TUSCALOOSA | Three people toted cardboard signs surrounded the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Friday afternoon, protesting family court laws they claim are unjust to non-custodial fathers.

“We want to let the community know that www.protectfathersrights.org is here. We exist; we’re advocating children’s rights; we’re promoting good fathering, shared parenting and equal responsibility for both parents," Steven Kneussle, the rally’s organizer said while standing on the corner of Seventh Street and Lurleen B. Wallace Boulevard North at about 4:30 p.m.

Kneussle, a 30-year-old Tusca-loosa resident, said family laws don’t protect the visitation rights of non-custodial fathers, unfairly calculate child support and fail to come up with a solution that truly benefits the children caught in the middle.

In a written statement, Kneussle, who is divorced and has two baby daughters, said “laws relating to divorce and family law do not provide adequate visitation and enforcement when visitation is withheld."

“Often, visitation is used by the non-custodial parent as a means of extorting a more favorable settlement," he said.

When asked about charging the custodial parent with contempt of court when visitation rights are violated, Kneussle said contempt charges are too slow.

“You have a guy who hasn’t seen his kids in six months, and he’s filed contempt of court, he’s still not seeing his kids and the ex-spouse can file a motion to modify the contempt charge," Kneussle said.

Kneussle and the supporters of his cause, who he hopes to soon organize into a social action group, said they believe the solution to the problem is shared parenting.

“We believe in shared parenting and the necessity for both parents to be equally involved in the child’s life," Kneussle said. “This is essential for the child’s growth and development."

Kneussle said shared parenting would distribute the financial obligation of the children equally between both parents.

Carol Sommer, a 64-year-old Northport resident who was picketing outside the courthouse with Kneussle, said fathers are just as important in children’s lives as their mothers.

“Children need their fathers," she said. “Fathers shouldn’t be shut out of their children’s lives because of a divorce."

Kneussle said the overall response to the rally was positive.

He said both men and women approached him during the rally and said they were interested in joining the movement.

“We really want to work with the courts and the community to come up with a solution," Kneussle said.

“Our ultimate goal is to pass legislation to mandate counseling for both parents during a divorce and that the parents come up with a parenting plan that shows how both of them are going work together for the benefit of the children," he said.

Reach Jamon Smith at jamon.smith@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.

Family courts often hurt families

The stability of the family is crucial to society. Most, including leaders of both political parties, would agree. Unfortunately, Alabama consistently rates in the top 10 in the nation in rate of divorce, hardly a picture of stability.

Making bad matters worse, family law policy pits parents against each other with families dissolved and children the greatest losers. Joint parenting is too seldom granted and fathers likely to expect every-other-weekend at best.

When this inequity was pointed out in an open Senate hearing, one Alabama state senator infamously remarked, "Yeah, and it will always be that way until you figure out how to have a baby."

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