About Melissa Pearce

As a child of divorce herself, Melissa Pearce recalls her parents’ divorce. In the 1970’s, it was far less common and often looked down-upon. At that time, children did not tell their friends that their parents had divorced. It was treated as “the secret” to keep. Her parents often fought over the children. Melissa still remembers bitter fights over her father’s activities with the children and his very limited parenting time. Back then, he only saw the children for four (4) hours every other Sunday. No overnight visits. Holidays were out of the question.

Melissa held to these painful childhood memories for many years, including throughout her own difficult marriage. She never wanted to put her children through those fights and tears. Melissa feared that every divorce left children with just as much pain. Melissa, determined to protect her own children, would not entertain thoughts of divorce for several years.

After she found the strength and courage to file for divorce, Melissa found a system that was hostile to those without legal representation. She encountered rude, dismissive court staff, who assumed that only trained attorneys could possibly read and interpret the law. Once Melissa hired an attorney, she saw the attitudes of those same staffers change dramatically. Little did the court staff know that – due to her very small budget – Melissa was crafting her own legal strategy. Throughout, she kept one important lesson from her parents’ divorce in mind. Never speak with hostility to or about the children’s father. Children have a right to both the father’s love and the mother’s love.