A $21 Million Verdict Didn’t Give Cynthia Hayek Her Kids Back
A jury awarded Cynthia Hayek and Kenneth Hamp more than $21 million after finding that false abuse allegations helped cost Hayek her children. The judgment survived appeal. What remains unclear is whether the custody system ever gave her relationship…
The Pipeline Nobody Audits
A report reveals that left-leaning professors significantly outnumber conservatives in U.S. election law courses, affecting courtroom outcomes. In contrast, family court lacks similar analysis of training and credentialing for professionals, leaving its…
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…
What to the Parent Is the Fourth of July?
On America's 250th birthday, Michael Phillips critiques the family court system, arguing it fails to protect parental rights, a fundamental liberty. He highlights discrepancies in legal protections between parents and individuals in criminal cases,…
The Price of the Circuit
The family court system's failures stem from a funding structure that incentivizes parents' separation. Federal grants and funding programs bolster a closed system, resulting in inadequate responses to parental alienation. Despite recent reforms,…
The Closed Loop: How AFCC Captured Maryland’s Family Courts
Michael Phillips highlights a persistent issue in Maryland's family court system, where court-ordered communication through platforms like OurFamilyWizard fails due to lack of enforcement against non-compliant parents. This situation reveals a systematic…
The Door You Keep Open
The piece discusses the emotional and psychological toll of parental alienation on targeted parents, describing their grief as ambiguous loss without societal recognition. It emphasizes the complexity of reconnection with alienated children and suggests…
One Day, Seven Cases: A Court Watcher’s Portrait of Judge Vivian Wang
Judge Vivian Wang, newly appointed in San Mateo County family court, is navigating her first year with a strong commitment to understanding cases and assisting unrepresented litigants. However, her lack of family law experience exposes gaps in legal…
Inside the California Custody Cartel
In California, family courts are criticized for prioritizing profit over justice, leading to parents like Brenna Gano losing custody rights. Gano's experience highlights a system where judges and therapists exploit conflicts for financial gain,…
The Alienation Accusation Loop
The article discusses the dangers of the "alienation accusation loop" in family courts, where the focus shifts from child safety to interpreting children's resistance as manipulation. This shift can lead to severe consequences for children and protective…