Lawyers Without Billboards

Your weekend. Their tournament. Who gets the final say?

When divorced parents disagree about their children's extracurricular activities, things can get complicated fast. From golf tournaments and travel baseball to competitive cheerleading and horseback riding, children's activities can become a major source of conflict over parenting time and decision-making authority.

In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Steve Shewmaker, Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy Lewis, and Alexa Lewis tackle one of the trickier issues in family law: What happens when one parent has final decision-making authority over extracurricular activities, but the other parent doesn't want those activities interfering with their parenting time?

The team examines the Georgia appellate case Earl v. Earl, involving a disagreement over a child's golf tournaments, and explores why having final decision-making authority doesn't necessarily settle every parenting-time dispute.

Along the way, they discuss overscheduled kids, competitive sports, parental expectations, and whether dividing extracurricular decision-making responsibilities between parents creates more problems than it solves.

In this episode:

• Who decides which sports and activities children participate in after divorce?
• What happens when tournaments conflict with parenting time?
• The lessons and limitations of Earl v. Earl
• Competitive cheerleading, travel sports, and demanding schedules
• When parents' ambitions clash with children's wishes
• Why creative custody arrangements can create unexpected complications

Because when it comes to kids, custody, and extracurricular activities, the most important question isn't always who has the authority. It's what's best for the child.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:04 Final Decision-Making Authority After Divorce

02:20 Why Extracurricular Activities Create Custody Conflicts

05:13 Parenting, Sports, and the Pressure to Compete

08:48 Earl v. Earl: The Golf Tournament Dispute

09:33 When Tournaments Interfere With Parenting Time

13:59 What the Trial Court Decided

18:08 Taking the Custody Dispute to the Court of Appeals

19:12 The Appellate Court's Decision

21:30 Why the Details Matter in Contempt Cases

23:30 Putting the Child's Interests First

25:53 Travel Sports, Competitive Cheer, and Co-Parenting

28:48 Can Parents Split Extracurricular Decision-Making Authority?

32:44 The Cost of Kids' Activities and What's Next

33:30 Closing Thoughts

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/Ug5IC1M7VAI or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

What happens when you ignore discovery requests, defy court orders, or go snooping through your spouse's private communications during a divorce? As the lawyers at Shewmaker & Lewis explain, you could be putting your entire case at risk.

In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Steve, Patty, Jimmy, and Alexa explore the serious consequences of failing to comply with discovery in divorce proceedings. From motions to compel and contempt of court to having pleadings struck and losing the ability to present evidence, the penalties can be devastating.

The team examines real cases from Georgia and Tennessee involving parties who repeatedly ignored their legal obligations, then turns to a headline-grabbing $6.2 billion New Jersey divorce involving allegations of unauthorized computer access, deleted evidence, and intercepted mail.

They also discuss the risks of accessing an estranged spouse's emails, text messages, or electronic devices, even when passwords or accounts were previously shared.

In this episode:

• What happens when you fail to respond to discovery
• Motions to compel, contempt, and attorney's fees
• How discovery violations can cost you the ability to defend your case
• Real divorce cases with extraordinary courtroom consequences
• The $6.2 billion divorce and allegations of privacy violations
• Why accessing your spouse's private communications can backfire

The bottom line? When a judge orders you to do something, ignoring that order is rarely a winning strategy.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Lawyers Without Billboards
00:42 – Steve and Patty's 25th Anniversary Surprise
03:10 – Discovery: What Happens When You Don't Comply?
04:16 – Motions to Compel, Contempt & Attorney's Fees
05:49 – Serious Sanctions: Striking Pleadings and Losing Evidence
07:50 – Georgia's Bayless v. Bayless: A Costly Lesson
11:20 – Tennessee's Kelly v. Kelly: More Discovery Disasters
14:21 – Court Orders, Body Attachments & a $100,000 Appearance Bond
16:56 – The $6.2 Billion New Jersey Divorce
17:50 – Laptop Access, Deleted Photos & Private Mail
19:13 – When the Court Strikes Your Pleadings
21:15 – Privacy Rights Between Separating Spouses
22:18 – Shared Devices, Emails & Text Messages
24:04 – Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes
25:20 – Closing

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/r1SNAdlLUQo or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

When parents share legal custody, what happens when they simply can’t agree on a major decision involving their child?

In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, the Shewmaker & Lewis team continues its discussion of final decision-making authority in custody cases. They break down how parents are expected to consult with one another in good faith, what happens when they reach an impasse, and why overly complicated decision-making arrangements can sometimes create more problems than they solve.

The conversation focuses on two areas that can become especially important after divorce: religious upbringing and education. From baptisms and competing religious traditions to public versus private school, school districts, IEPs, 504 plans, tutoring, academic programs and even holding a child back a grade, the team looks at the real-world disagreements that can arise when parents have different ideas about what is best for their children.

They also examine Hardman v. Hardman, a Georgia Supreme Court case involving final educational decision-making authority and private-school tuition. It’s a cautionary example of why divorce agreements should clearly spell out not only who gets to make a decision, but who may be responsible for paying for it.

And because this is Lawyers Without Billboards, somehow the conversation also finds room for horses, snake-handling churches, a 200-year-old fox case and Alexa’s continuing quest to acquire a raccoon.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards
03:17 Final Decision-Making Authority Explained
04:16 The Four Major Decision-Making Areas
04:57 Who Gets the Final Say on Religion?
07:50 Good-Faith Discussions & Tie-Breaking Authority
10:24 When Religion Becomes a Custody Issue
18:29 Final Decision-Making Authority in Education
19:20 Public School, Private School & School Districts
20:57 Can Private School Continue After Divorce?
22:39 Hardman v. Hardman
31:07 The Private-School Tuition Lesson
32:39 IEPs, 504 Plans & Other Education Decisions
34:08 Holding a Child Back or Skipping a Grade
35:06 Why Complicated Parenting Plans Can Backfire
36:04 Healthcare & Extracurriculars Are Coming Next
36:26 Foxes, Property Law & Alexa’s Raccoon

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/Dfdtg58X4xw or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

What happens when DFACS gets involved with a family, and when does a parenting problem become serious enough for juvenile court?

In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Steve Shewmaker, Patty Shewmaker and Jimmy Lewis welcome Shewmaker & Lewis attorney Tuscan Fairfield to the podcast for the first time.

Tuscan breaks down Georgia dependency actions, including how children may be removed from a home, what happens at a preliminary protective hearing, the role of DFACS, and what the state must prove before a child can be found dependent.

The team also discusses the strong legal presumption that parents should raise their own children, why juvenile court focuses heavily on reunification, and the kinds of services parents may be required to complete, including substance-abuse treatment, parenting classes, counseling and anger-management programs.

They also tackle a difficult question: just because you have the legal right to refuse DFACS entry into your home, is exercising that right always the smartest move?

Plus, the conversation takes a few classic Lawyers Without Billboards detours through Pulp Fiction, orphan trains, prohibition, motorcycles, horses and why Tuscan may forever be known as Nebraska’s international man of mystery.

In this episode:
• What a dependency action is
• When DFACS can become involved
• Emergency removal of children
• Preliminary protective hearings
• Parents’ constitutional rights
• What DFACS must prove in court
• Reunification and rehabilitation plans
• Guardians ad litem and child advocates
• Why imperfect parenting is not necessarily neglect
• When parental conduct falls below the legal “floor”

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards
00:41 Tuscan Fairfield joins the podcast
02:45 What is a juvenile dependency action?
05:48 What does “dependency” mean?
07:31 How children can be removed from a home
09:42 What legally makes a child dependent?
11:37 The orphan train and the history behind child-protection laws
15:51 From “deprivation” to “dependency”
16:19 Parents’ constitutional right to raise their children
17:07 Preliminary protective hearings
18:27 What DFACS must prove
19:19 Attorneys, guardians ad litem and child advocates
20:37 Reunification as the goal
21:38 Rehabilitation plans for parents
23:28 What causes DFACS investigations?
26:08 Should you let DFACS into your home?
27:29 Not every DFACS investigation becomes a dependency case
30:25 The burden of proof at adjudication
31:39 DFACS and reasonable efforts toward reunification
34:05 Breaking cycles through juvenile court
36:28 Imperfect parents and the legal “floor”
36:53 Final thoughts

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/ZlOpUL79U1k or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

What does it really mean when a lawyer takes a case “pro bono”?

In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Steve, Patty, Jimmy, and Alexa dig into the rules, rewards, frustrations, and occasional headaches that come with providing legal services for free.

The team breaks down what “pro bono” actually means, Georgia’s aspirational 50-hour standard for lawyers, what kinds of work qualify, and the lesser-known concept of “low bono.” They also discuss why taking a case for free doesn’t necessarily make that case any easier.

Then they share some of their own memorable pro bono experiences, including a veteran navigating a divorce, a Hague Convention case involving a child taken across international borders, a protective-order case through a VA legal clinic, and Steve’s efforts to help a soldier resolve a years-long military absence.

Some pro bono cases leave lawyers wondering why they ever agreed to help. Others remind them exactly why they became lawyers in the first place.

Plus: Why there is definitely no “nine cases and the tenth one is free” punch card at Shewmaker & Lewis.

In this episode:
• What “pro bono publico” actually means
• Georgia’s Rule 6.1 and the 50-hour aspiration
• What counts as pro bono legal work
• The difference between pro bono and “low bono”
• Why free clients can sometimes be the most demanding
• Real pro bono cases from the Shewmaker & Lewis team
• Why lawyers have a responsibility to give back

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards
00:41 The 5K announcement that came a little too late
02:38 Pro bono: the lawyer’s “dirty word”
03:04 The Pro Bono Pop Quiz
07:00 Georgia’s rules for pro bono legal work
09:04 The 50-hour pro bono standard
13:47 What actually counts as pro bono?
18:46 CLEs and other ways lawyers can give back
21:06 Should every lawyer do pro bono work?
24:01 When working for free goes wrong
26:51 “Low bono” and having skin in the game
29:09 The team shares memorable pro bono cases
29:21 Steve’s contempt case and helping “June”
32:49 Patty’s pro bono divorce case for a veteran
33:56 Alexa’s international Hague Convention case
35:35 Jimmy’s VA legal clinic case
38:40 Other ways lawyers give back
39:13 Steve helps a soldier resolve a years-long absence
42:53 Why pro bono still matters
43:54 Outro

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/4RWFbg_K0-o or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

In Part 2 of our discussion of the Lautenberg Amendment, the Lawyers Without Billboards team turns from what the law does to the practical question: How can a domestic violence case affect your gun rights, and what can happen before a federal firearms prohibition is triggered?

Steve, Patty, Jimmy and Alexa discuss the important differences between criminal domestic violence charges and civil protective orders, how temporary protective orders can affect firearm possession, and why the way a criminal case is resolved can have consequences far beyond the courtroom.

The team also digs into diversion programs, dismissals, plea negotiations, and United States v. Hayes, including why the factual basis behind a plea can matter even when the name of the offense does not sound like a domestic violence charge.

As always, the discussion comes with an important reminder: serious domestic violence allegations require serious legal attention, and avoiding Lautenberg starts with avoiding domestic violence in the first place.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Part 2 begins
01:38 Lautenberg and the Second Amendment
02:48 How do you avoid Lautenberg?
03:09 Criminal convictions vs. civil protective orders
05:14 Protective orders and unintended consequences
08:17 When protective orders expire
10:03 Temporary protective orders
11:39 When prosecutors get involved
13:00 Diversion and dismissal
16:20 The domestic violence threshold
18:50 Ex parte vs. adjudicated protective orders
20:11 Arrests, bonds and military consequences
22:45 Criminal charges and Lautenberg
23:04 United States v. Hayes
25:24 Plea negotiations and alternative charges
28:32 Federal law vs. state law
31:35 State firearm restrictions
33:21 Final thoughts

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/1wFoeFgJMGA or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

#LautenbergAmendment #GunRights #DomesticViolence #DomesticViolenceLaw #FamilyLaw #ProtectiveOrder #SecondAmendment #CriminalLaw #GeorgiaLaw #LawyersWithoutBillboards #ShewmakerLewis

When two people walk into court with completely different versions of what happened, how does a judge decide who to believe?

In Part 3 of our courtroom objections series, the Lawyers Without Billboards team tackles character evidence, credibility, relevance, and the rules that determine what a court should and shouldn’t hear.

We break down when a witness can testify about someone’s reputation for truthfulness, why specific bad acts usually can’t be used simply to prove bad character, and how cross-examination can sometimes open the door to evidence that otherwise wouldn’t come in.

The conversation also covers relevance in family law, including why something that happened years ago may have little bearing on the case today, plus objections involving misstating testimony, assuming facts not in evidence, and questions that aren’t being asked in good faith.

Then we get into Rule 403 and the balancing act between evidence that is genuinely probative and evidence that may be unfairly prejudicial, cumulative, confusing, or misleading.

Plus, the team shares a few courtroom stories, including gruesome crime-scene evidence, a defendant posing with guns, and why lawyers sometimes need to cross-examine their own clients before anyone ever gets near a c

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards
00:41 – The New Georgia Family Law Book
03:53 – Courtroom Objections Part 3
04:20 – Improper Character Evidence
07:01 – When It Becomes a “Swearing Contest”
08:43 – Character Witnesses and Truthfulness
10:05 – Cross-Examining a Character Witness
11:59 – Reputation and the Hearsay Exception
13:06 – What Counts as Relevant Evidence?
14:08 – When Old Misconduct Stops Mattering
16:38 – Why Lawyers Cross-Examine Their Own Clients
17:45 – Legal Advice From Family, Friends…and ChatGPT
20:06 – Misquoting Witnesses and Misstating Evidence
23:15 – Rule 403: Probative Value vs. Unfair Prejudice
24:23 – When Evidence Is Too Prejudicial
27:58 – The “Jesse James” Gun Photo
30:28 – Coming Up: Privilege
31:25 – Closing

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/dbctyPG_2m8 or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

#LawyersWithoutBillboards #CourtroomObjections #FamilyLaw #GeorgiaLaw #Evidence #CharacterEvidence #LegalPodcast #TrialLaw #ShewmakerAndLewis

What happens when a divorce settlement collides with bankruptcy law?

Bankruptcy attorney Shayna Steinfeld joins Steve, Jimmy, and Alexa to unpack the surprisingly complicated intersection between family law, debt, property settlements, support obligations, and bankruptcy.

Shayna explains why a divorce decree may determine obligations between former spouses but does not necessarily prevent a bankruptcy trustee or creditors from pursuing assets later. The conversation covers everything from jointly owned homes and business debt to indemnification clauses, Chapter 7 versus Chapter 13, and the difference between a property settlement and an obligation considered “in the nature of support.”

They also discuss practical ways family lawyers can better protect clients when drafting settlement agreements, what happens when one spouse files bankruptcy after divorce, and why bankruptcy issues often require specialized counsel.

Along the way, Shayna shares her path into bankruptcy law, her experience as one of the relatively few attorneys working at the intersection of bankruptcy and family law, and how her career developed during a time when women were still significantly underrepresented in legal practice.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction
00:41 – Meet bankruptcy attorney Shayna Steinfeld
03:28 – World War II history, travel, and books
05:21 – A Family Lawyer’s Guide to Bankruptcy
06:00 – Shayna’s bankruptcy practice and specialties
07:02 – When business debt and divorce collide
09:43 – How bankruptcy courts view divorce settlements
11:05 – Can a trustee claw back property transferred in divorce?
13:38 – Does indemnification protect a spouse?
15:55 – Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13 and property settlements
17:18 – A real-world contempt and bankruptcy problem
18:41 – Is “in the nature of support” language enough?
21:35 – Drafting divorce agreements with bankruptcy in mind
22:51 – When family lawyers should call bankruptcy counsel
24:04 – Shayna’s career and professional accomplishments
25:15 – Women entering the legal profession in the 1980s
27:40 – What happens when a former client files bankruptcy?
29:59 – Can attorneys protect their own unpaid fees?
31:05 – Why every lawyer needs trusted referral relationships
31:51 – World War II travel and what’s still on Shayna’s bucket list
32:44 – Closing thoughts

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/s9_on2FKaSc or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

Hearsay is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the courtroom, but the rule comes with a long list of exceptions.

In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Alexa, Steve, Patty and Jimmy dig into the hearsay exceptions lawyers actually use, from present sense impressions and excited utterances to medical statements, recorded recollections, property records, ancient documents and even deathbed statements.

The team also talks about how these exceptions show up in real family law cases, why admissibility and credibility are two very different things and why good trial lawyers should always assume the other side is going to object.

And yes, somehow diaries, light bulbs and 20-year-old emails all make an appearance.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards
00:59 Hearsay Exceptions: Why They Exist
02:37 Georgia’s Two Hearsay Exception Statutes
03:41 Present Sense Impression
06:20 Present Sense Impression vs. Excited Utterance
08:44 Existing Mental, Emotional or Physical Condition
11:21 Statements for Medical Diagnosis or Treatment
13:15 Recorded Recollection and Diaries
14:13 When a Journal Is Created for Litigation
16:57 Records of Vital Statistics
17:58 Religious Records and Certificates
19:01 Ancient Documents
20:39 Using Old Financial Records in Divorce Cases
22:21 Property Records and Real Estate Documents
22:59 How Trial Lawyers Prepare for Hearsay Objections
26:02 Prior Criminal Convictions
27:40 When the Declarant Is Unavailable
28:59 Former Testimony
29:09 Dying Declarations
29:28 Statements Against Interest
30:33 The Bottom Line: Assume They’ll Object
30:47 Closing

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/bmQSc27RZEQ or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

Can child support really be unconstitutional? According to some corners of TikTok, Instagram and the internet, the answer is yes.

There’s just one problem: that isn’t what the law says.

In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Steve, Patty, Jimmy and Alexa dig into one of the stranger child support claims circulating online: that a Minnesota Supreme Court case supposedly ruled child support unconstitutional.

Patty explains what the case actually decided, why the claim has been badly distorted online and how misinformation can turn into very expensive legal trouble when people try to use it in a real courtroom.

The team also takes a look at a $279 “child support discharge” packet complete with courtroom scripts, “living man” language and arguments that sound suspiciously familiar to the sovereign citizen world.

They also discuss:

• Where child support laws came from
• What the Minnesota Supreme Court actually ruled
• Why child support itself was not declared unconstitutional
• Whether child support can be legally “discharged”
• Why internet legal scripts can backfire badly in court
• Common misconceptions involving VA disability and child support
• Why people often search online for the answer they want instead of the law that actually applies

If you’ve ever seen a reel, video or website promising a secret legal loophole that makes child support disappear, this episode is worth a listen.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards
00:51 Is child support unconstitutional?
02:45 Where did child support come from?
03:52 Child support and English canon law
05:21 The origins of child support enforcement
06:36 Child support enters federal law
07:25 The Minnesota Supreme Court claim
09:05 Holding vs. dicta
10:58 What the Minnesota case actually said
12:36 The internet’s courtroom “magic words”
12:52 The $279 child support discharge packet
15:30 Why the discharge packet won’t work
16:28 Reading the courtroom script
19:04 Child support is constitutional
20:47 The danger of online legal misinformation
21:39 VA disability and child support myths
23:03 Asking ChatGPT if child support is constitutional
24:20 Searching for the answer you want
25:01 Final takeaway

🔔 Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards.

🎙️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis

 🎧 Watch here: https://youtu.be/bmQSc27RZEQ or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
(770) 939-1939

🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com

🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards

🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA