Lohans ordered to therapy by family court judgeIn addition, parents must avoid trash talking and father granted more phone time with his children.BY ANN GIVENS
June 25, 2007, 9:11 PM EDT
Lindsay Lohan's estranged parents must not bad-mouth each other in front of their children, a Nassau Family Court judge said Monday while ordering them to go to family therapy.
The goal of the therapy will be to gradually reunite Michael Lohan, who was recently released from prison after serving time for drunken driving and attempted assault, with his two youngest children, said Judge Stacy Bennett. It will be up to the therapist to decide whether he and Dina Lohan participate in the therapy together or separately, said Michael Lohan's lawyer, John DiMascio of Garden City. Bennett said she will look for an interim report on how the therapy is going at the couple's next Family Court appearance Sept. 6.
In the meantime, Bennett ordered that Michael Lohan be allowed better phone contact with his two youngest kids, Dakota, 11, and Aliana, 13.
"I take this very seriously," Bennett said in court.
Michael Lohan, of West Babylon, who says he found God in prison and became a minister, said he was encouraged by Bennett's order.
"They were my entire life," he said of his kids. "I miss them tremendously."
Dina Lohan, of Merrick, did not comment after the court appearance. But while she was waiting before the proceeding, she said her long divorce and custody battle have been hard on her family.
"I just want to move on," she said. "It takes a toll on myself and the children."
Dina admitted that she is still afraid of Michael, and her security chief, Ty Dux, said that even after his religious transformation, Michael remains a dangerous man.
"For a man who's in the house of the Lord, he sure makes a lot of crazy threats," Dux said.
Dina said she and her younger children are planning to fly to California for Lindsay's birthday July 2, and hope to spend a low-key, alcohol-free day away from the campus of the Promises Treatment Center, where Lindsay is rehabilitating. Lindsay, 20, checked into the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center last month after crashing her Mercedes-Benz in Beverly Hills.
Dina Lohan said she speaks to Lindsay every day, and Lindsay will be transferring soon into an extended care unit at Promises.
"She's doing great," she said.
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