The Same Tools
The article explores how tactics used in controlling marriages transition to family court, impacting custody cases. It highlights four parents' experiences, demonstrating a structural failure of family courts to recognize coercive control patterns. The…
A Paper Doesn’t Stop a Bullet. A False Accusation Helps Pull the Trigger.
Three Maryland cases reveal the same systemic failure: protective orders that identify danger but cannot stop it. At the same time, false filings dilute the system’s ability to respond to real threats — leaving children to bear the cost.
Eight Children. One Father. A System That Knew.
Eight children are dead in Shreveport — killed by a father the system already knew. This investigation traces the warning signs, the missed opportunities, and the structural failures that turned a preventable crisis into a mass killing.
Father Ambushed and Stabbed During Custody Swap: When “Routine Exchanges” Turn Violent
A Texas father was allegedly ambushed and stabbed during a custody exchange. The case raises urgent questions about safety, court oversight, and violence during child custody swaps.
When Protective Orders Fail, Children Pay the Price
A protective order was in place. Police had responded just one day earlier. And yet a mother is dead and children are left with irreversible trauma. The Howard County killing forces an uncomfortable question: when warning signs are documented and kids…
When the System Steps Back, Children Can Still Fall Through
A new essay highlights a crisis in New York's Family Court system regarding children exposed to domestic violence. Many fail to receive necessary support due to a system that prioritizes adult disputes over child welfare. Advocates call for independent,…
When the Safety Net Frays: Nebraska’s Murder-Suicide Spike Exposes a Broader Crisis
A sharp rise in murder-suicides in Nebraska during 2025 exposes what happens when domestic violence services, protection order enforcement, and mental health intervention all fall short at once—leaving families, especially children, to bear the cost.
Lakeland Murder-Suicide Highlights Deadly Mix of Alcohol, Domestic Violence, and Crisis Failures
A Christmas-week tragedy in Lakeland left a mother dead, a teenage girl critically wounded, and three children without their parents after an alcohol-fueled domestic dispute escalated into a murder-suicide. Authorities say the case highlights how…
Father & Co. Is Launching the 2025 Family Court Experience Survey
Father & Co. is conducting an anonymous survey to gather firsthand experiences related to family courts and child custody in 2025. The survey aims to produce original data to enhance public understanding and inform policy discussions. Participants…
Top 10 Biggest Scandals and News Stories to Rock Family Courts, Child Custody, and Child Welfare in 2025
2025 exposed both progress and profound failure in America’s family courts. While Congress passed the most significant child welfare overhaul in more than a decade, deadly custody cases, foster care audits, and federal investigations revealed how often…