Aloha, I'm new and in need of legal advice (page 2)

Honesty

Tell the elders to FOAD and move on with your life.

You don't need the stress.

Scully

Clarify the content of the announcement with your father first.

Was it a "disfellowshipping" announcement? or was it the new format whereby they announce that a person "is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses"?

The defense the Elders™ would likely use is that you "Disassociated™ yourself by your actions".

My advice (though not legal advice) would be to save your money, spare yourself the stress during what should be one of the happiest times of your life, and enjoy the remainder of your pregnancy getting ready for the baby. Develop a good relationship with your partner's family and enjoy the attention they will lavish on you and your baby.

If I were you and intent on suing someone, it would be your mother and her big mouth, for violating the confidence you shared with her. Frankly I'd be inclined to never speak to her again.

Band on the Run

I am an American lawyer. You would have little case in the States b.c of the First Amendment. More importantly, though, no one can give you legal advice here. Law is complex. The details your case, details wihich you may think unimportant, make a difference. Lawyers don't know the law off the top of their heads as they do in TV land. Legal research needs to be performed.

They have a right to disfellowship you. Does it matter, if you don't obey their laws. They are doing nothiing to you, outside the Witnesses. People can have personal preferences for whom they want to have insurance or not. Employment may be a different matter. I don't know.

No one is qualified to give legal advice here. Some people have their local lawyers send vaguely worded defamatin lawyers. The Society has lawyers so they will call any bluff. Someone saying they are going to sic a lawyer on me doesn't frighten me in the least. Let me a legal letter, threatening a cause of action in an appropriate court from a decent law firm with a name, address, and reputation and maybe I'd reconsider.

This gamnit would work if there were an equal playing field between the Witnesses and you. Unforutnately, they have at least several full time lawyers on staff to protecrt them at all times. They are sophisticated, repeat players. Think of David and Goliath.

In the States, most lawyers will do a free initial consultation. I can't imagine a barrister/solicitor common law country would be different. Meet with a local soiciotr. Only such a person can give you reliable advice. Using the Internet, you do not know the credentials or experience of anyone. I am a nut about it. When I was in college, I was interested in law, particularly civil liberties. I worked for a legal agency. People would phone in and I was supposed to log the call. I had other plans, hjowever. I spouted off what the law required, how the Supreme Court ruled. Fast forward to first week of law school. I sink into my chair as I realize the lives I may have screwed up.

If you want to vent, I recommend this forum. I don't see it unreasonable that they sanction those who break their rules. They are overly clear as to what is accpetable and what is not. The family angle is troublesome.

shopaholic

If you lost your job because you were marked & they broke your employment contract because of that, sue them for wrongfull dismissal. Ditto the housing situation.

If you have the resources to do it...go for it. Otherwise, go live well...it will drive them crazy

karter

My advice don't waste your time.

I belive it has been tryed before.

The WTS has a large team of lawyers and not afread to use them.

Mad Sweeney

The comments that say you're too late for an attorney seem correct to me.

I have heard of people keeping from getting formally DFd via legal threats from a real attorney but once the announcement is made there isn't anything you can do about it.

Think of it from the normal world's perspective. The announcement is "robyn1991 is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses." To any normal person, that isn't defamation at all. It might be the greatest compliment you could be given.

I would suggest that you take it as such and start living your life free of cult mind control and manipulation. You're no longer a JDub. Rejoice!!!

LV101

the free lawyers at bethel obviously have a shoe up with the laws of this country (US) protecting religions (sickening and sounds like you're in england or austrailia) regardless of whether they're real, practicing, attorneys (successful ones who've practiced law in great firms around the country and bethel recruited them into the fold, & this is very doubtful), but for sure if their in-house counsel have half a brain can shoot the avg. disfellowshipping case to pieces. US courts don't want anything to do with this religious stuff (not talking, of course, about child molestation cases and watchtower for sure hires outside real litigators in these cases). i'm on your side and would fight them for any reason if the laws in your country are on your side --- otherwise maybe consider it a blessing and send them a thank-you note for releasing you from their demonic control.

Band on the Run

The common problem I see here is that people equate law with justice. Hopefully, there is some relationship but not the kind most people want. Serious wrongs exist for which there is no legal remedy. Common law evolved from knights with feudal tenure from the king. As society grew more complex, the king grew more powerful and a form of law emerged that used the king's peace as justification for stealing rights held by knights. It is basically tradition.

I imagine all common law countries treasure freedom of religion. Besides freedom of religion which can sound too Puritan and old-fashioned, people want to be left alone with government only where necessary. Freedom of association is important. Unlike Maoist China, no one forces you to join clubs, practice a religion or do a particular job. This principle is much deeper and older than freedom of religion.

The worst thing every lawyer is taught is for government to be entangled with religion. Whatever faults Freedom of Religion may have, government entanglement proved far, far worse. You can't force yourself on them. Ultimately, what does di'f'shipped mean? The employment issue is a possibility but very unlikely. A recent U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that despite laws against religious discrimination in employment, the Salvation Army was perfectly free to reverse its policy of hiring based on merit and establish a religious test in its place. These are not technical legal rules, such as damage assement in contracts. They are the very fibre of democracy and freedom. I think being di'd'f should be a mark of honor, worthy of any resume.

sizemik

You took away their power by ignoring them and telling them to desist in their harrassment . . . don't hand it back on a plate, by signalling that what they do matters to you somehow.

They are a tin-pot, self-important, pathetic little cult that means piss-all in the grand scheme . . . get the right perspective, move on, and live a happy life.

And a warm welcome to you!

Black Sheep

Hi Robyn. Welcome to the forum.

Being thown out of a group of mental defectives is something to be proud of.

Don't waste any more of your resources on them, Go and make yourself a good life with your new family.

Your parents made the choice to raise you in a high control group that practices the shunning of its children. It was a gamble and they lost. Now they have to decide what price they have to pay.

Do not accept any blame for their poor choices.

Cheers

Chris

Aloha, I'm new and in need of legal advice

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