Op-Ed: The Hypocrisy of Family Law — Why Family Court Should Be Abolished

“It’s an oxymoron. That’s why I never took it in law school. Family = Love. Putting laws and rules around it, and having people who are not part of the ‘family’ rule on it, is not what God intended. It’s entirely opinion based — and unconstitutional to its core.”
— Jeff Reichert, business attorney and alienated father

Family law. The phrase itself is a contradiction — two words that should never belong in the same sentence. One implies love, unity, connection. The other? Power, punishment, profit.

We were taught that the law exists to protect families. But anyone who’s walked into a family courtroom knows the truth: it exists to dissect them — slowly, expensively, and without mercy. Family court doesn't preserve family. It profits from its destruction.

How Did We Get Here?

Family courts were never enshrined in our Constitution. In fact, the very idea that a judge — often unelected or politically appointed — can override fit parents’ rights based on vague standards like “best interest of the child” should send a chill down any liberty-minded American’s spine.

How did a system with no jury, no evidentiary standard of guilt, and often no real due process come to wield such massive control over our private lives? Through decades of legal drift, fueled by emotional manipulation, financial incentives, and a growing class of parasitic legal professionals who thrive on prolonged conflict.

Ask a “family law professor” — the new clergy of the court cult — and they’ll openly advise mothers to be careful about “allowing” the father extra time with the child. Why? Not because of safety, not because of love — but because it might impact child support calculations. This is the “mirror image rule.” More time for Dad? Fewer dollars for Mom.

In short: Best interest of the child = Best interest of the mother’s wallet.

A System That Destroys Families

Let’s stop pretending this system was ever about healing. It’s a financial battlefield, where children are collateral damage and parents are cannon fodder.

Democrats often champion this system under the guise of protecting rights — unless, of course, the parent is a white male, gun owner, or Republican. Then, suddenly, the presumption of innocence evaporates. But this isn't a partisan problem. It’s deeper than that.

In Jeff Reichert’s case, he has faced three female Republican judges in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Despite having no criminal convictions, no abuse findings, and a deep love for his son, Jeff has been alienated for 3.5 years. His story is not unique.

I’ve faced the same stonewalling in Montgomery County, under Democratic judges. So let's be clear — this is not about left or right. It’s about greed, power, and unchecked judicial authority.

No One Is Prepared

Most people assume divorce means sadness, maybe some lawyers, maybe shared custody. They don’t expect to lose their children, their homes, or their sanity.

And no one tells you: there's no legal insurance for this. No safety net. No plan. When you walk into family court, you are stripped of your civil liberties, handed a bill that rivals a medical crisis, and expected to comply with rulings that would make Orwell blush.

We insure against health emergencies. Why not family court trauma? Because no one wants to admit how common — and how catastrophic — it really is.

The right to be a parent should not risk costing you both kidneys on the black market. And yet, many of us would gladly trade them to get our kids back.

Corruption Is the Default

Let’s be blunt: Most family court attorneys — and the judges they become — are not public servants. They are opportunists. They thrive on your pain. They speak in vague legalese to justify biased, illogical, and often cruel decisions. They hide behind immunity. They pad their friends' wallets through guardian ad litem appointments, custody evaluations, and endless “therapeutic” referrals.

They. Do. Not. Care.

They do not care that your child cries at night asking why Daddy disappeared.
They do not care that you’ve lost your job fighting to prove you’re not a monster.
They do not care that your ex is lying — because lies generate more hearings. More hearings mean more money.

Family Court Must Be Abolished

We do not fix this system with reform. You don’t “reform” a slaughterhouse by handing out cleaner aprons. You shut it down.

If parents are accused of crimes, let them be tried in real courts — with juries, evidence rules, and constitutional protections. If custody needs to be decided, let it be done under the same legal standard as any other deprivation of rights — beyond a reasonable doubt.

The family court model is broken. Worse than that, it’s fraudulent. And as long as it exists, no parent — mother or father — is truly safe.

The truth is simple: Family courts do everything but promote family. They shred values, ignore evidence, punish love, and empower abusers.

It’s time we call them what they are: state-sponsored child trafficking operations disguised in robes and gavels.

We’ve had enough.

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Michael Phillips is a writer, advocate, and founder of the REBUILT Justice Project. He has spent the last five years navigating the corrupt family court system in Maryland and documenting the stories of others caught in its grip.