Episode Details

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: pshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com
(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