Sister Wives

[phamton]

If a person is not current in their child support payments, they are not able to get a temple recommend and go to the temple. Some men would rather give up the rights to their children rather than become current on child support that way they can still go to the temple. Crazy, I know but it does happen more than most people are willing to discuss in the LDS community or the off shoots of the LDS religion that do go to the temple. Most polygamous groups do hold the temple as sacred so this may be the case with Robyn's husband. She did mention that he wasn't paying child support.

 

[mom2rtk]

It seems to me that Meri is making a lot of assumptions. How does Cody being a stepparent to those kids make it more likely he can adopt them? It doesn't change the fact that they still have a dad. Either there's more going on behind the scenes with regard to their biological dad, or Meri is using this as cover for her easy exit later.

 

[mom2rtk]

...... or maybe ratings are down and they needed to liven things up?

 

[gwynne]

Could this possibly have something to do with providing medical insurance for Robyn's kids?

 

[Mizzoufan]

Could this possibly have something to do with providing medical insurance for Robyn's kids?

this could be a possiblity! Also with Mary being single she would be eligible for more financial assistance for school.

 

[Offsides]

And as for Christine & Janelle - isn't this a 5-way relationship? Shouldn't they have been as much a part of the decision making as the other 3?

I find it extremely difficult to believe that Meri just went ahead and decided this all by herself before telling anybody in the family. If they are as united as they say, I would assume this would be a family decision. From the way it was presented on the show, it looked like Meri told Mariah before Christine and Janelle knew anything about it. What? How can they claim to be one big family when they throw stuff like this out there? When Christine (I think) asked when this was happening Meri said "tomorrow". WHAT? I'm going to divorce our husband without consulting anyone in the family and by-the-way, it has already been decided and it is happening tomorrow. It is ridiculous.

Also, why is this Meri's fight? These are Robyn's kids. If Robyn and Kody felt it was SO important for them to be officially "Browns" why have they not been working on this for the past 5 years? One would think that step 1 would be to ensure that the children can be legally adopted by another father, prior to all this divorcing and marrying business. Again, ridiculous.

I can't stand these people and yet I still watch. There is something wrong with me.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Janelle is smart to keep track of her finances. Not sure I would want Robin, as the legal wife, in control if anything should happen to Kody. I wonder if Meri isn't checking out. She said she doesn't feel as much of a connection to the younger kids (and subsequently to the other wives, I would guess). I also think Janelle will be gone as soon as her youngest is graduated, maybe even before.

 

[karensi]

I find it extremely difficult to believe that Meri just went ahead and decided this all by herself before telling anybody in the family. If they are as united as they say, I would assume this would be a family decision. From the way it was presented on the show, it looked like Meri told Mariah before Christine and Janelle knew anything about it. What? How can they claim to be one big family when they throw stuff like this out there? When Christine (I think) asked when this was happening Meri said "tomorrow". WHAT? I'm going to divorce our husband without consulting anyone in the family and by-the-way, it has already been decided and it is happening tomorrow. It is ridiculous.

Also, why is this Meri's fight? These are Robyn's kids. If Robyn and Kody felt it was SO important for them to be officially "Browns" why have they not been working on this for the past 5 years? One would think that step 1 would be to ensure that the children can be legally adopted by another father, prior to all this divorcing and marrying business. Again, ridiculous.

I can't stand these people and yet I still watch. There is something wrong with me.

Exactly what I, and apparently others posting here, think also. If we are aware that it would make the most sense to see if Robyn's ex would go along with the adoption wouldn't you think that at least one of the Browns would have thought of that too? Certainly Janelle is smart, I'm sure one of them must have thrown that thought out to the others. Yes, there's more going on behind the scenes than we know, I think.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I work for a family law attorney and it is possible to have a biological father's rights terminated in certain cases.....x number of dollars behind on child support, no contact for x amount of time, as well as some additional factors. Even if the biological father wants to fight the adoption, he'd have a tougher time trying to prove why the adoption should not be granted if he were behind, hadn't had contact, etc. It's not an easy process but it is possible.

I only watched bits and pieces of the latest episodes but I believe that I am remembering correctly that Robyn stated that their dad was behind on child support and only talked with the kids sporadically (not sure if this is truly the case or not).

It's very possible that the Browns, or at least Kody and Robyn, have met with an attorney who has given them advise on what needs to happen prior to and, if and when, Kody wants to try to adopt the children. We have had clients come in prior to an intra-family adoption, custody cases and even divorce to make sure that they have things lined out before they take any legal action. If that were the case in the Brown's situation, then they would have known that the law would most likely require that Kody and Robyn be married in order for the adoption process to go more smoothly. Also, in our State, a home study has to happen during the adoption process which would mean that the State would assign a social worker (or the equivalent) to go to the home, talk with the adoptive parents, other family members, make note of the living situation, etc. (Sorry for using etc. a lot but there's simply too much to type out). While Kody doesn't live in one home all of the time, it would look better if he were actually married to Robyn when the home study takes place.

**edited to add after barkley's post: They also do criminal background checks in our State too. The process isn't an easy one, that's for sure. But, having your ducks in a row does help.

 

[barkley]

so if all this happens I wonder if "Dayton" will end up with an entirely new name (not just the brown last name) since legally he's David Preston Jessup Junior.

it will be interesting to see what transpires if their bio dad isn't just willing to give up parental rights. the way the adults are portraying the process is nowhere as entailed as it really is. in some states (including Nevada I believe) to involuntarily terminate parental rights is a very difficult process-and just saying the ex isn't paying child support or staying in contact as much as she'd like with them doesn't cut it (in fact where she says she doesn't want to terminate their relationship with him and still do contact and visitation seems to contradict any claims that she's making that it's not occurring presently). the courts will look at anything and everything that can be done to retain the ex's parental rights (and though I'm not sure where he lives-he could argue that she moved the kids away from Utah not for their benefit, but to assist her current husband with evading prosecution-depending on where he lives an out of state move to Nevada might impact their ability to physically get together esp. if they have to work around filming the show). didn't she also say something when she was buying the house about how she had taken on some of the marital debt and made some financial concessions during the divorce? so is it that he's not paying agreed upon child support or did she agree not to pursue any (kate gosselin did this w/jon to get the rights to put her kids on tv-robyn's kids were shown on the show from early on).


we recently went through the guardianship process w/ds-and having it established that he required a guardian was a walk in the park as compared to all of the interviews, home studies, criminal/financial background checks, and referencing required for us to be deemed as qualified-and that was with us both being his bio-parents in an intact marriage. I have to imagine that since the browns hold themselves up to be one family unit it would require extensive home studies of all the mom's, the homes, the kids and what seems to be a complicated history of whom financially supports whom (dh asked me the other night when we were watching the show if kody even has a current job b/c we hear of them all being so busy but with the exception of a real estate sign being put in the ground by one of the wives they haven't shown anyone working since they left Utah).

 

[karensi]

so if all this happens I wonder if "Dayton" will end up with an entirely new name (not just the brown last name) since legally he's David Preston Jessup Junior.

Dayton's name isn't Dayton?? What's up with that??

 

[Offsides]

Dayton's name isn't Dayton?? What's up with that??

According to Robyn, that is just his "nickname".

Didn't the accident that he had involving his eye happen when he was with his dad? And when they were moving into their new houses, wasn't there an episode about Kody and Robyn driving the kids to Montana to see their dad? Nothing about this situation makes any sense to me.

 

[Pembo]

Dayton as a nickname for David is...different. And yes the accident with his eye was when he was at his dad's and I remember a few episodes where Robyn says her kids with family in Montana...code for with their dad.

Question for the more legal savvy - if Kody is their legal step-father does he have more legal rights to the kids? Like for insurance or healthcare or whatever??

 

[leebee]

Dayton as a nickname for David is...different.

He's David Preston, Jr. "Dayton" is a contraction… David Preston, or Dayton.

 

[Pembo]

He's David Preston, Jr. "Dayton" is a contraction… David Preston, or Dayton.

Ah, I get it now. Thanks....

 

[mickeystoontown]

Dayton as a nickname for David is...different. And yes the accident with his eye was when he was at his dad's and I remember a few episodes where Robyn says her kids with family in Montana...code for with their dad.

Question for the more legal savvy - if Kody is their legal step-father does he have more legal rights to the kids? Like for insurance or healthcare or whatever??

In the State of Louisiana (where I work and live), step-parents can add their step-children on their insurance/healthcare policies. It's harder for someone who isn't related to have a child added. In this case, a step-parent would be considered as "related". I would think that would be the case in Nevada as well but I can't say for sure.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

I would bet it was all done for financial reasons and may happen more in Polygamous families than we are aware.

 

[yoopermom]

I'm finally caught up on the last three episodes and the whole divorce thing really came off to me as not a surprise at all, all acting for the camera type thing. I just cannot believe that they would have sat down and "sprang" it on each other, with those reactions. I truly believe this family is sly as a fox (or at least the wives are!). They may not like each other, but they sure like the cash cow that is the show!

I find the children much more interesting than the dysfunctional parents. I wonder how Mariah will justify to her new LDS faith what her parents do. I worry about the seeming anger between those teenage boys. And I thought the anthropologists' description of how Cody treats his children differently/amount of time he spends with them, and the wives' justifications for it really sad.

Terri

 

[nicolita3]

Did you all here about Robyn being pregnant again

 

[Kitty 34]

When will the show be on again? I need my summer train wreck shows.