Maryland has declared August 2026 National Child Support Awareness Month, praising its support enforcement system. However, the article critiques this…
The Record Nobody Can Check
Maryland has passed Senate Bill 426, overriding a veto to protect sensitive divorce and custody records from public access to…
The Warrant Nobody Checked
A forged custody order almost led to a child being taken from Maryland. St. Mary's County deputies recognized irregularities in…
The Squeeze: When Two Broken Systems Land on the Same Parent
A recent federal memo rescinded restrictions on states disqualifying SNAP benefits for noncooperation with child support, potentially affecting struggling parents…
The Order Nobody Signs For: How Protective-Order Extensions Can Outrun Service
Temporary protective orders serve as a critical bridge between emergency situations and formal hearings, relying heavily on the effective service…
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,…
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…
The Access Gap AI Was Supposed to Close — And What It’s Opening Instead
A recent appellate court case highlighted issues with AI-generated citations in custody matters, revealing a trend where self-represented litigants submit…
No Transcript, No Appeal, No Accountability: How the Court Reporter Crisis Is Erasing Family Court Records
Millions of family court hearings are being conducted without reliable transcripts, leaving parents unable to challenge judicial errors on appeal.…
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…