The Narrative Nobody Fact-Checks
A recent tabloid story about Brad Pitt explores how narratives surrounding custody disputes can be reshaped over time. It emphasizes discrepancies between Pitt's past admissions of drinking problems and the anonymous claims blaming his ex-wife Angelina…
The Subsidy Nobody Qualifies For
A proposed federal rule would allow income-eligible married households to receive about $9,000 per child annually for at-home caregiving, excluding unmarried parents regardless of caregiving efforts. Critics argue this shift focuses benefits on married…
The Prescription Nobody Can Enforce
A West Virginia father's push for timely vaccinations for their children clashes with their mother's vaccine skepticism, leading to custody disputes in family court. The article explores the inadequacies of family court in resolving medical disagreements…
Disability Pride Month Ends At The Courthouse Door
In July, politicians will commemorate the ADA's anniversary, yet it doesn't protect disabled parents in family courts, where their rights often face termination due to disability. Recent studies reveal that 42 states maintain statutes allowing parental…
The System’s Two Speeds: Maryland Moves Fast to Take Custody, Slow to Answer for It
Four Maryland cases reveal a troubling pattern: the state moves quickly to remove children from parents but far more slowly when government agencies or courts are held accountable.
The Credibility Gate: What Kyra’s Law Actually Does — and the Provision Nobody Is Covering
Kyra's Law has been framed as either a landmark child safety bill or an invitation to false allegations. The legislation is more complicated than either narrative. Hidden inside is a major expansion of appellate rights for parents facing temporary…
Marriage Equality Matters. So Does Family Court Equality.
Michael Phillips reflects on the Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which established marriage rights for all but highlights the shortcomings of family courts. These courts lack procedural safeguards, leading to disproportionate consequences…
PTSD Is Not a Parenting Defect: Family Courts Must Stop Treating Veterans’ Disabilities as Risk Without Individualized ADA Assessments
June is PTSD Awareness Month, highlighting the need for family courts to stop using PTSD and military service as stereotypes that unjustly restrict parental rights. Courts must ensure individualized assessments to distinguish real risks from harmful…
Child Welfare Selective Service
The article critiques politicians' lack of urgency in addressing family court issues that result in children being separated from fit parents while they express concern over immigration-related separations. It highlights the systemic dysfunction in…
The Loophole
Congress established a high-deployment allowance for servicemembers exceeding deployment thresholds. However, the Navy's implementation limits eligibility due to a regulation that focuses on consecutive deployment days, ignoring total aggregate time. As…