Letters to the editor

Huntley Nicholas / Tokyo

What a nice surprise to see your article about Bow Sim Mark. And what a coincidence as well. A character inspired by Grandmaster Mark is featured in my new Rizzoli & Isles mystery novel, The Silent Girl. I’ve spoken to several of Mark’s students, who refer to her with utter awe and reverence. Female martial arts masters are too often assumed to be fictitious Hollywood creations. Not so!

Tess Gerritsen / Camden, Maine

Contesting divorce

In his interview with the Globe Magazine, Ned Holstein of Fathers and Families advocates for a change in child custody law (First Person, June 19). He claims that judges use “default” or “cookie-cutter” solutions and show “old-fashioned gender bias.” As a family law attorney, I can say these claims are inaccurate and misleading. Moreover, Holstein’s proposed changes unnecessarily complicate and cloud the court’s job, which is to determine the custody arrangement that will best serve the happiness and welfare of the children. The current law is clear and comprehensive: (1) Parents have equal rights; (2) there is no presumption in favor of, or against, shared custody; and (3) custody decisions are based on the best interests of the children. There is no default outcome. Bias is explicitly prohibited.

The majority of custody cases settle before trial. In cases that go to trial, the level of acrimony is often too great for shared custody to work. This acrimony creates a barrier to shared custody; the current law and its application do not.

Laura W. Gal / Princeton