"They want to make changes that practically defeat the purpose of the deal," says the 19-year-old who had hoped his 12- and 14-year-old brothers would be removed from foster care by this weekend and the family – minus the father – reunited at their mother's bungalow.
Under the teen's seven-point plan, aimed at ending the bitter custody battle, all three boys were to live with their mother for 100 days and not be forced to undergo treatment for parental alienation. But the office countered on Tuesday with a 24-point plan that one lawyer termed "ridiculous."
The Office of the Children's Lawyer claims its plan simply "tweaks" the weekend deal. But the teen says it's aimed at giving the office – which the boys claim has never acted in their best interests – control of the family. He says it opens the door to forced "deprogramming" for parental alienation, which both brothers resisted so fiercely. They were committed to a psychiatric facility for five weeks and then placed in foster care last December.
"I thought the role of the OCL was to give a voice to kids who didn't have a voice," said one lawyer. "But this isn't the voice of the kids, this is the voice of professionals saying, `We know what's best.'"
The case is back before Justice Steven Clark today and lawyers for the teen and the dad will be pressing for rejection of the plan.
A spokesperson for the office refused to discuss the case.