Is Divorce Court Biased Against Men?

For many men, the prospect has become so fearsome they are turning their backs on getting married in the first place — and avoiding what they see as the bear trap of long-term commitment to women, kids, and family.

Especially younger men.

There’s even an acronym for it — MGTOW.

Men Going Their Own Way.

It’s grassroots and YouTube’d blowback against a culture and court system that seems to be stacked against men simply because they are men.

Especially men who are fathers.

But what's the actuality behind the closed doors of family court? And if the deck is stacked against men, why is it stacked?

And what can be done to fix that?

Canadian filmmaker Vede Seeterram has been doing background research for a new documentary called "Man Down: A Closer Look at Family Court" that will open the closed doors of family court.

And hopefully, open some minds.

He has already uncovered some startling facts.

It turns out that there are significantly more “deadbeat” moms than dads. Contrary to the stereotype, women are about 7 percent more likely than men to fail to pay court-ordered child support (the split is roughly 32 percent women, 25 percent men).

But men are awarded sole custody of their kids only 18 percent of the time. That's in the United States. In Canada and the UK, dads are awarded sole custody approximately 7 and 13 percent of the time, respectively.

He also uncovered some alarming facts.

Including how easy it is for men to be punished on the basis of allegations.

Women can claim spousal abuse — sometimes on the advice of their lawyers — and a claim of abuse is sufficient, all by itself, to get a restraining order issued against the man, locking him out of his own home and locking down the system against him.

Without any evidence ever having been presented against him.

Just the say-so of his estranged ex.

It's the Me Too movement applied to family law — and it's not very different from people screeching witch! 300 years ago ... the screech being enough to burn the witch.

Only today, the "witch" is male.

"A divorce lawyer will tell the woman, well, go get a restraining order . . . it doesn't matter whether there was any intimate partner violence," says Michael Conzachi, a former policeman from California. "And that automatically puts them in control of everything, home, assets, kids . . .”

God-bye to the family home — and the family. His kids.

Which the accused man is no longer allowed to see.

The men so accused — but who never had a meaningful opportunity to defend themselves against these accusations — are not only prevented from seeing their kids, when they are finally allowed to see them, are only permitted to see them under supervision.

"It's demeaning," says another father interviewed for the film. "It makes you feel like a criminal."

A "criminal" never convicted of anything.

"How is it that a lawyer, who's bound by some sort of ethical protocol, counseling me . . . giving me legal advice to stage domestic violence so I get the upper hand in family court?" asks a woman interviewed for the film.

The answer to that question may be that ethically challenged lawyers have an incredibly strong financial interest in making divorce as acrimonious as possible — in order to draw it out for as long as possible.

Because billable hours equals billions.

"Man Down: A Closer Look at Family Court" points the camera at the profiteering of the divorce industry and exposes the costs — not only in terms of dollars and cents — but on kids whose fathers aren't around anymore.

Not by choice but by court order. These kids are much more likely to suffer developmental and emotional problems than kids whose fathers are a regular presence in their lives.

"We know for a fact that having a father in the child's life leads to better academic performance, better language skills, better socialization," says a lawyer interviewed by Seeterram.

Katherine K. Young, co-author of "Legalizing Misandry: From Public Shame to Systemic Discrimination Against Men," and also an interview subject for the film, says: “Men need to have a vested interest in their children. . . and if they have no legal rights for that vested interest, why get into marriages in the first place?

Indeed.

This, however, runs contrary to feminist ideology — which sees men as not only "patriarchal" but disposable.

Their importance as role models understated. Their struggles irrelevant.

Not to men, of course. Who are going their own way as a result of all this.

Which is sad for them, the wives and kids they choose not to have — and for society. Which comes apart when men and women are alienated from one another; when marriage is seen — with cause — as a trap to be avoided.

"Somebody has to take apart the theories . . . someone has to say, wait a minute, that's wrong,” explains Karen Straughan, a popular Men’s Rights activist and blogger.

But it won't get fixed until more people know — which is the guiding purpose of "Man Down: A Closer Look at Family Court."

If you'd like to help get the word out, help get this film made.

This is a grassroots effort — against a very entrenched orthodoxy.

Seeterrram and his production company have about 20 percent of the documentary completed; the remaining 80 percent will hopefully be financed by ordinary people over the next 40 days via a Kickstarter campaign.

Steve Gruber is a conservative talk show host with 25 affiliates in Michigan. "The Steve Gruber Show" launched in 2012 with just four affiliates and has grown into the most powerful name in talk radio across Michigan. Steve has been named “Best Morning Personality” by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters five years in a row. His conservative, common-sense philosophy was developed during his time growing up in rural Michigan. Steve’s early career found him in several newsrooms including WILX, Lansing where he honed his investigative journalism and interviewing skills. He became the main news anchor of the station and before long was offered a job with NBC in Columbus, Ohio. While working for NBC, he covered the incredible launch of John Glenn, age 77, into space at Cape Canaveral, White Supremacists in Ohio, and the deadly game of selling prescription medication online. Steve was nominated for an Emmy in 2000. To read more of this reports — Click Here Now.