He was put on child support at just 12 years old.
By the time Lionel “TJ” Tillman learned what had happened, he says he was already $24,000 in debt—despite the court determining that he had not reached puberty when the child was conceived.
After fighting the case for more than two decades, proving that the process involved extrinsic fraud, and eventually recovering his money, TJ is no longer focused solely on his personal battle.
Now, he is taking the system to Congress.
In this powerful episode of Inside the Vault with Ash Cash, TJ introduces the proposed Bringing Families Back Together and Child Support Equity Act of 2027—a bill created to promote equal parenting, due process, financial fairness, transparency, and healthier relationships between children and both fit and present parents.
Ash and TJ examine some of the most controversial questions surrounding family court and child support:
Can someone be held financially responsible without being the biological father?
Why are some parents learning about child-support orders only after their wages are garnished?
Are government incentives helping families—or rewarding separation?
And why should a parent who is actively fighting to be present automatically be treated like an absent parent?
TJ also makes one thing clear: this is not a “get out of responsibility” movement. He believes parents who refuse to support their children should be held accountable.
His fight is for fairness, equal parenting, proper notice, due process, and a system that puts the well-being of children ahead of conflict between adults.
This is not about mothers versus fathers.
It is about choosing the children.
Watch until the end to learn how you can support the petition, help bring the proposed legislation before Congress, and become part of a national movement to strengthen families.
Sign the petition:
change.org/childrenneedboth
Chapters
00:00 – He was put on child support at 12 years old
01:08 – Message for entrepreneurs, coaches and business owners
02:05 – Protecting the family is a generational investment
03:04 – The Bringing Families Back Together and Child Support Equity Act
03:55 – “Take care of your children—this is not a free pass”
05:21 – Who is Lionel “TJ” Tillman?
05:38 – Put on child support at 12 and $24,000 in debt
06:32 – Could he have biologically fathered the child?
07:15 – Declared the legal father despite the court’s findings
08:53 – Why outdated policies need to change
09:34 – Why TJ is taking the system to Congress
10:12 – Education, policy and prevention
11:18 – Does due process apply in family court?
11:51 – Equal parenting should begin at birth
12:53 – Georgia’s legitimation process explained
14:11 – The $755 million child-support incentive claim
15:11 – Why TJ is pursuing federal reform
15:45 – Incentivizing families to stay together
17:25 – No parent should have to fight for their children
17:46 – Fathers ask for joint legal and physical custody
18:34 – How public assistance affected the family structure
19:35 – Who determines whether a parent is fit?
21:18 – Why must parents fight for more time with their children?
22:00 – “You want support, but you don’t want support”
22:29 – TJ announces The Family Code podcast
22:39 – The hidden trauma families refuse to discuss
24:02 – Why TJ challenges the child-support system
24:17 – The Fourteenth Amendment and parental rights
26:47 – How claims can be presumed valid until challenged
27:43 – Proper notice before enforcement actions
28:17 – Discovering child support through wage garnishment
30:00 – Finding out on payday that half his check was gone
32:10 – Personal service versus substitute service
33:13 – Vindication after a 22-year fight
34:00 – The forged signature and vacant-house service
35:00 – Paying child support for 11 years
37:26 – Filing an insurance claim against Los Angeles County
38:30 – How TJ finally recovered his money
39:20 – Helping parents challenge their cases
40:15 – Why he refuses to assist irresponsible parents
41:41 – Raising his daughter as a single father
43:00 – Why children may need both parents
44:40 – The child-support-to-prison pipeline
46:47 – Are urban communities being disproportionately targeted?
48:14 – Is TJ trying to weaken child-support laws?
48:34 – Child support should apply to absent parents
49:22 – Equal parental rights and the “noncustodial” label
50:00 – Handling difficult co-parenting and parental alienation
51:10 – Support beyond money: emotional and physical presence
52:00 – Parenting education, therapy and conflict resolution
54:00 – What America could look like if the bill passes
56:47 – How viewers can support the proposed legislation
57:17 – TJ’s direct appeal to Congress
58:25 – This is not men versus women
58:36 – Putting children ahead of pride and conflict
59:41 – “This is not an attack on women, men or child support”
1:00:04 – How to connect with TJ and the foundation
1:00:32 – Closing the Vault
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy