“People can get as much justice as they can afford. And most people cannot afford any justice at all.” – Gloria Allred from the movie Divorce Corp
This is a powerful statement from the newly released documentary Divorce Corp. I didn’t need a movie to tell me this. My personal experience with child support enforcement in the family court system has been one of disappointment. I naively thought the family court system would be a champion for my son.
Instead, it has only perpetuated injustice and inequality. My ex has never paid his full amount of court-ordered child support. More importantly, he has never provided the court-ordered health coverage for our son. To make matters worse, his employer is refusing to cooperate so the health coverage can be deducted from his check. The laws promise action, but none has been delivered in my case. The system isn’t fulfilling its responsibility on any level. There’s been no enforcement and no justice for my son.
Divorce Corp. pulls back the curtain on the $50 billion a year U.S. family law industry. Despite my own negative experience with the family court system, I was still shocked, saddened, and disgusted by the gross injustice to moms, dads, and children. The desire for money and power trump a child’s happiness in many instances.
As the title implies, divorce is a corporation – a business. An extremely successful one at that. Joseph Sorge, the director exposes the utter disregard for justice, fairness, and compassion in the family court system. The core values are subjective and the operating procedures are appalling. Even though the movie depicts cases from the extreme end of the spectrum to prove its point it will absolutely pull on your heart strings. I experienced an array of emotions from anger to sadness.
The movie isn’t all doom and gloom. It does present the Scandinavian divorce model as an alternative. I appreciate being given another option, although it may not be the best option for the U.S. They have the same divorce rate as us, however divorce isn’t used as a means to build wealth. We give money too much value in the U.S. Many people use their bank account as a source of their self-worth. So, the loss of money feels like a loss of identity. That fear causes them to fight violently to hold on tighter and tighter to their money. Money isn’t the reason divorce is a billion dollar business, as the movie implies – lack of self-worth is.
I encourage you to see this movie if you’re single or engaged or married or divorced. Basically, everyone should see this movie. Not so you become jaded against marriage or the legal system. See the movie so you can become aware of the issue and make informed decisions.
Divorce Corp. has accomplished its goal of bringing attention to the dysfunction in the family court system. The family court system is all we have…and it’s failing us. The movie provided the Scandinavian model, but it didn’t show how the U.S. can get closer to it. I left the movie theater wondering what next? There wasn’t a clear call to action. I was left emotionally raw. Apparently, the next step -whatever that is – falls on the viewer’s shoulders.
The movie has started the dialogue. I’m grateful for that, but is talk enough to truly influence change? No, it’s not. I guess that’s where organizations like My Advocate Center, Inc. come in. They sponsored the movie screening I attended in Atlanta, GA and are actively pushing for reform. Change will only happen when we couple conversation with inspired action.
Update:
The can has been opened. Only time will tell what will come of this exposé. Visit www.divorcecorp.com for more information about the movie. And, be sure to click on the “reform” tab if you have any interest in attending a conference on family law reform.
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