This is one of the most important areas to fix in Family Courts. This brief paragraph is woefully inadequate. Where there is material perjury on financial or custody-related issues, there must be serious consequences to the litigants AND the attorneys. The officers of the Court (lawyers) must be held accountable by the State Bar’s code of ethics – a duty of candor to the Court. These guidelines are routinely ignored. Until lawyers are sanctioned (financial penalties – including fees and lost time at work; and license suspensions), this issue will persist and will continue to undermine the basic foundation of the Family Court system in California. The State Bar must be more active on this issue – fees can be paid by the litigants making the allegations to fund the State Bar’s resources to address this. To me, perjury in the courts is the number issue to address in reform.
George G Montgomery
Hillsborough, CA
