The Essential Guide to Fathers Rights

As a father of two young children, and someone who has been through a very acrimonious divorce, and who has had to deal with (and is still dealing with) a bitter ongoing contact dispute with my ex where I have been denied contact with my children and have faced false allegations of violence and abuse against me, I want to use my experiences constructively and help other devoted fathers faced with the same situation.When I first separated five years ago I searched for as much information as I could find on fathers rights. Back then there was hardly any information directed at fathers and our needs and what was out there wasn't very good. Then a close friend of mine recommended a legal handbook specifically written for fathers to me which he had discovered on the internet and written by a former family law specialist who gave up her career as a family lawyer to write and research her book and to actively campaign for loving and devoted fathers rights to have contact with their
children. I thought it was very interesting that a woman should write a book for men and I was curious to read it.I have to say that the guidance and information in the book was enormously helpful to me - I'll explain why in my review of the book in a moment - and since then I have purchased the fully revised and expanded second edition of the book which in my opinion is even better than the first because it contains additional sections on key subjects of relevance for fathers such as paternity; civil partnerships; grandparents; the separate representation of children; litigants in person; disclosure, confidentiality and publicity and appeals.What I want to give you is a straightforward review of the book so you can decide for yourself whether this is a book which would be useful to you:o The first thing you notice about the book is that it's compact (160 pages) and that every page is jam-packed with detailed information. This book contains no fillers. It's solid information
. I understand that the author wanted the book to be a handbook which fathers could take with them to court etc so the size was a factor she considered when the book was produced.o The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 deals with the family, and the effects of separation on children and fathers; Part 2 deals with the current law, the workings of the family court system and recent important changes. Part 3 deals with the issue of reform and considers proposals for change.o The book is divided into 19 chapters. Part 1 entitled Family Matters (Chapters 1-5) deals with the importance of fathers and our role, discusses ways of trying to reduce conflict after a break-up and how to resolve issues amicably including mediation and counselling; covers what to do about telling the children and how they might react and their wishes.o Really positive information is provided about how to maintain a role in our children's lives post-separation, how to deal with new partners and cont
act with grandparents and other members of the extended family, and there are useful pointers in how to deal with our exes. I found all the advice very helpful to me. I feel that the author really understands the problems and empathizes with us as well as telling how it is.o Part 2 entitled The Law (Chapters 6 - 17) is really well-written, clear and easy to follow. The author starts with outlining the law and legal system, explains the court system and process; she then deals with how to find a good solicitor. I particularly liked this chapter! She then goes on to deal extensively with paternity, parental responsibility, child arrangements for divorcing fathers, unmarried fathers, civil partners and step-fathers and explains the whole court process in depth right from the commencement of proceedings through to final judgment in understandable terms.o She breaks information down into bite-sized chunks which is easy to absorb. She simplifies complex legal points and she also u
ses case-studies from her own experiences within the law and her research to further explain points and to demonstrate how the law works in different scenarios.o There are separate chapters on the representation of children and litigants in person and McKenzie Friends, disclosure, confidentiality and publicity, residence, contact, emergency procedures and appeals. She also deals with Child Support and the Human Rights Act 1998.o Part 3 covers reform and pressure for change and recommendations for a way forward.The book has helped me because it has given me a greater understanding of the law and fathers' rights, legal procedure, how to deal with my ex and how to progress my case both inside and outside court. It also saved me a lot of money on lawyers' fees because it also gave me the confidence to represent myself in court when necessary. I know that I would have had to pay thousands of pounds for the advice I've had from this book. What I really like about the book is the w
ay it is structured. The fact that every chapter is broken down into sections and the author really explains everything so clearly is what makes the book so good. The author has a very easy writing style and you really feel that she has a true understanding of a father's dilemma, and that she cares about this subject and us.So what are my final thoughts on this book? Well, it won't solve 100% of your problems but that has more to do with my ex and the law than the quality of the book! It has certainly enabled me to go a good way to resolving my problems. All in all this book is an invaluable resource so do check it out for yourself.

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"Agincourt" by Bernard Cornwell

Nick Hook knows his enemies, those men from the village that would like to see him dead and would make every effort to make it so. He knows what he trusts, his bow arm. He knows who he loves, his brother and the young novice who needs saving. But he's still confused. In the midst of religious persecution, venal priests and nobles, the sweep of history that is hurling him along he has no idea who speaks the truth. Making his confusion worse, as he is running from almost certain death, the saints Crispin and Crispinian decide to talk to him directly. So, Hook is on an adventure well worth following.The king of England has decided that he's also the King of France. The French don't see it quiet the same way and Nick Hook, a bowmen, is caught in the middle. The whims of a king, the love of battle, the lust of priests, the honor and bravery of both sexes, and the arrogance of the nobles, are the spicy ingredients that stir inside the pot of this page turning historical fiction. Fe
ar, anger, confusion, and a real will to know and do the right thing propels our lead character into becoming an outlaw and joining the king's army on one of the most legendary battles in English history.Nick is strong, brave, competent and lucky but he's not perfect. In fact, none of the people in this book are near perfect. They are all real living human beings, sane and mad, brave and cowardly, smart and stupid. Mr. Cornwell has chosen an excellent balance of characters. From the first pages we begin to choose sides and root for people we do and don't like. There is a mad rapists priest we want to see dead from the first chapter countered by a wise and kind priest we fear is marching to his death. There is the English king who with his small army of 5000 has no fear of the gathering storm of 30,000 French men-at-arms because God is on his side. There is the French nobleman who is cruel, arrogant and brave because the English are stupid and, by the way God is on his side t
oo.It's almost inconceivable that the battle as depicted here could possible have had the outcome history reveals. Outnumbered six to one, cold, hungry, sick, exhausted, these few Englishman stand up to the might of a well rested, well fed and well positioned French army. Yet it is the individuals involved and what will happen to them that keeps us turning the pages. Mr. Cornwell makes this story real and relevant, the tension and action immediate, the history vital and the book impossible to put down.

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Facebook Updates: How Frequently Should You Update Your Page

According to Mari Smith, Facebook expert and author of 'Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day', there is a direct corelation between frequency of posts and number of fans. However, she also warns that you do not want to overwhelm your fans by posting too much.When you first launch your page, you may start off by posting once a day and see how your fans respond to that. If necessary you may increase your posting frequency to several times a day or you may decrease your posts to several times a week. The idea is to find the rhythm that is right for your fans.Generally speaking, start slowly and then increase momentum as time goes on:updating two to three times a week is appropriate for most brands unless they are established thought-leaders from whom fans expect more e.g. CNN, Mashable, Mari Smith, and Martha Stewart.
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days for high traffic and fan engagement while Thursdays and Fridays tend to be a little slow. Saturday mornings attract more traffic than any other time slot in the weekend. If the topic posted is fun and interactive e.g. asking fans a question about their favorite iPhone game or their weekend plans, then fan engagement is even higher. Sundays generally experience very low traffic and may not be worth updating.
The best times of the day to update your Facebook page depend on your target audience and high traffic windows. For B2B brands whose target audience consists of other business organizations, posting between 11:00am EST and 4:00pm EST is recommended. However for B2C brands that target a younger audience such as high school or college-age kids, the best time to post would be after 6:00pm and weekends. Again this has to do with the school schedule as well as their online access.In all cases the ultimate goal should be quality rather than quantity. It is better to have fewer page updates that are highly engaging than to have many updates that have no fan interaction whatsoever.It is equally important to monitor your page insights for fan interaction so as to determine a posting schedule that is right for you. It might be that your fans may want to hear from you every day e.g. If you provide daily recipes, breaking news or motivational quotes.How often do you update your Faceboo
k page? Share your experience.

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