The story

The court granted Astrid limited privelages with her son, but after considering the court desision with others, and with her legal council, Astrid has decided to apply for a hearing in a higher court. This will be out of the small town court enviornment that Astrid feels has been a disadvantage to her in the proceedings thus far. The team of lawyers that she relies on, feel she has a feasable effort to regain the full parental custody that she has every right to have.

Interestingly enough, two of the workers (including the senior worker in Norway) sent a several hundred dollar invoice to the court in Bergen requesting finacial compensation (for loss of income and expenses) when they were called to testify in court.

I am awaiting the original bills, before I post them here, as Grant and Astrid have just received a copy from the court.

2003-01-08
We heard today that Lars Lund had called to Astrids lawyer asking that the bill that he had sent for his presence at court be retracted. The thought was good enough (albeit all little late), but it wasn't sent to our lawyer but to the court itself - and the court had debited Grant and Astrid for the amount that Lars had asked for!!!!

We (Helen, Terry Barnato and I) have just returned from a day in Oslo where we met Astrid and Grant for a meeting with their lawyer. We heard a little more of the details of the other single mother (from Bergen, not Oslo!) who was excommunicated by Lars Lund this last weekend. She is a lovely younger lady with two children whom proffessed at a convention 9 years ago - we remember it well as we happened to be at this convention. Astrid had taken her to this convention, and they have been close since. She has been concerned, but has continued going to meetings since the ruckus about Astrid and Grant. She has never the less been one of the few proffessing friends that has shown kindness to Astrid and Grant and has invited them to her home for coffee when she felt she wanted to.

She was at the Sunday meeting this last Sunday but felt that something wasn't right. On Monday she got a phone call from Lars Lund saying that one of the others at the meeting felt uncomfortable that she came to the meeting inspite of the fact that she still kept company with Astrid and Grant who were definately a bad influence - therefore he felt it best she not come to meetings anymore until she was willing to chose between the meeting or them!!!