The Child Gets a Microphone. Who Controls the Room?
New Jersey's revised custody statute, under Kayden's Law, emphasizes children's expressed preferences in custody arrangements and mandates judicial documentation when such preferences are overlooked. However, it does not guarantee that children will be…
A Voice That Isn’t Theirs: How the Child’s Voice Project Gets It Wrong for the Parents Who Need Help Most
The Child's Voice Project (CVP) aims to provide representation for children in custody cases but may inadvertently empower biased narratives, particularly in situations involving parental alienation. The model’s lack of transparency, training protocols,…
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…
The Government Has Been Counting the Wrong Days
Captain Mehdi Akacem, a Navy officer with 27 years of service, audited his PERSTEMPO record, revealing systemic flaws in how the military tracks service members' time away from home. Despite legal requirements for documentation, significant periods of…
7,077 Messages. One Court Order. Years of No.
Our Family Wizard is a co-parenting platform documenting over 7,000 messages exchanged in a high-conflict custody case. The records reveal a consistent pattern of noncompliance with court orders, with one parent systematically excluding the other from…
Today Is Parental Alienation Awareness Day. My Son Is 7. I Haven’t Had Parenting Time Since He Was 4.
On Parental Alienation Awareness Day, Michael Phillips emphasizes the disconnect between awareness and effective enforcement in family courts. He shares his painful experience of estrangement from his son due to parental alienation, highlighting the…
The Case That Wouldn’t End
The Reichert v. Hornbeck case highlights systemic failures in family court, showcasing a 16-year cycle of unresolved litigation stemming from a divorce initiated in 2010. The structure of the original judgment prioritized formal balance rather than…
What the Defendant Admitted Under Oath
The Hornbeck deposition highlights the complexities of parental custody disputes in family court, where personal narratives often clash. Under oath, Sarah Hornbeck addressed significant past events, including a 2018 arrest and disputes over child…
Before Discovery. Before Evidence. Before the Truth.
Jeff Reichert's federal civil rights lawsuit faces a potential early dismissal by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, raising significant questions about the legal system governing custody disputes. His case highlights the structural issues within…
The Language Trap
Family court often misinterprets ordinary words, leading to detrimental consequences for parents. The article emphasizes how linguistic nuances can transform innocent language into indicators of risk, thus affecting custody decisions. Parents must grasp…