Help Reunify Matt Burns with his Kids

Many of you have expressed your overwhelming support for Matt and the children and how much you wish you had a way to help. I am Matt’s girlfriend of 4 ½ years and I’m creating this site so that you have a way to offer your support.

 

A lot of you know the full story. I am leaving out a lot of details for legal reasons. To summarize, in January 2020 (over two years ago), Matt asked for the Court’s help to enforce and modify his visitation schedule with the children. In doing so, he was trying to protect the children’s right to maintain a relationship with both parents in their post-divorce family. His entire existence remains devoted to spending more time with his children.

 

Although currently there are not efficient ways of addressing what happens when children don’t follow the visitation plan agreed upon by their parents, the prior Judge in Matt’s case created an innovative way of addressing the problem. All of the Court’s decisions have been aimed at re-starting visitation, restoring the children’s relationship with Matt, and achieving a balance of power between the parents.

 

Below are links to the significant decisions that have been made public in this case so far:

 

https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2020/2020_51071.htm

https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2021/2021_51042.htm

 

https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2021/2021_50253.htm

https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2021/2021_50254.htm

https://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2021/2021_21166.htm

 

Even though these decisions include the awarding of some legal fees to Matt, the amount awarded is only a tiny fraction of the actual cost of the case. Moreover, Matt has only received a fraction of what has been awarded so far and nearly all aspects of the decisions, including legal fees, are being appealed by the other side.

 

I want to share a brief update about Matt. Since May 2020, Matt has only had four weekends with all three of the children. Matt drives round trip for visitation pickups on average 6 times per month, even during periods when the children don’t visit. He calls them every night as he always has, even though the calls are no longer answered. Two out of three of the children visited for dinners and alternating weekends for a few months in Fall 2021 and re-started again in March 2022. Matt is staying incredibly strong in the face of this atrocity. He has his children’s best interests at the heart of everything he does, whether the children are near or far from him. He will deeply appreciate any support, whether financial or moral support, in this tireless effort to reunite him with his children.

 

Donations will go directly toward legal and reunification therapy costs. In the unlikely event that donations exceed Matt’s costs after the awarding of legal and reunification therapy costs by the Court, the excess will be donated to one or both of the following organizations working to end parental alienation and abuse:

 

Society for the Protection and Care of Children (https://www.spcc-roch.org )

Children 4 Tomorrow (https://www.children4tomorrow.org )