Family court can be difficult for anyone—but LGBTQ+ parents and children often face extra legal friction because of parentage gaps, interstate complications, and bias hiding inside “best interests” discretion. In this episode, we break down the foundations that matter most: how parentage is established (and strengthened), why court orders travel better than paperwork, how custody decisions can go sideways when identity becomes the issue, and what a social justice lens looks like in real courtroom practice. You’ll also hear practical strategies for building a court-ready “go binder,” using child-centered language, documenting patterns without escalation, and advocating for respectful treatment of LGBTQ+ families—whether you’re a parent, attorney, mediator, GAL, judge, or community leader.

FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is the federal law that governs access to student education records and when schools can share student information. In this episode, we break FERPA down into a practical, step-by-step playbook: what counts as an education record, who has rights (parents vs. eligible students), how to request the full file, how to ask for the disclosure log, when consent is required, and the most common exceptions schools use (school officials, transfers, subpoenas, emergencies, and more).

You’ll also learn the difference between education records and exclusions like sole-possession notes and law enforcement unit records, how directory information opt-outs work, and how to document and escalate if a school delays or denies access.

Educational only—this is not legal advice.

Filing a police report during a family court dispute can either protect your safety and strengthen your documentation—or backfire by looking like escalation. This guide breaks down the difference between true criminal safety concerns (where law enforcement involvement is appropriate) and civil co-parenting disagreements (better handled through court enforcement and structured documentation). You’ll get a practical decision framework to help you evaluate risk, purpose, and credibility before you file. We also cover how to write reports and incident notes the way professionals prefer: objective, factual, and free of emotional speculation or legal jargon. Finally, you’ll learn alternative ways to track recurring conflict, communicate professionally, and preserve court integrity while navigating high-conflict separation.