This is not a custody story.
It’s a systems story.

The Explainer Series breaks down the legal procedures, power dynamics, and quiet failures surrounding Jeff Reichert’s case—in plain English, without spin.

Family court operates behind closed doors. Orders are issued quickly. Records are sealed. Appeals are rare. And once a narrative takes hold, it can become almost impossible to unwind—regardless of the facts.

This series exists to explain how that happens.

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What This Series Covers

• How protective orders work—and how they can be misused
• What “due process” actually means in family court
• Why temporary orders often become permanent punishment
• How evidence is weighed (and ignored)
• Why defending yourself can be used against you
• Why judges, attorneys, and court actors face little accountability

Each explainer focuses on process, not personalities—using one real case to illuminate a broader system that affects parents nationwide.

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Why It Matters

You don’t need to take a side to understand a system.

You just need transparency.

If courts can remove parents, restrict contact, or reshape families without meaningful safeguards, the public deserves to know how—and why.

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Start Here

Read the explainers in order, or jump to any topic that matters to you.
Each piece stands alone—but together, they tell a bigger story.

This is the case, explained.

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