The average high-conflict custody case costs $40,000–$100,000 per parent (AFCC survey, 2022). Many capable, loving parents simply cannot afford to keep fighting. The result? They walk away — not because they don’t love their children, but because the system priced them out.

BCI believes that:

• Every attorney should be required to inform clients of self-representation options and court facilitators.
• Experts (730 evaluators, co-parenting therapists) should accept pro-se parents without discrimination.
• Judges should treat all parents equally, regardless of representation.
• The state should pilot low-cost, evidence-based conflict-resolution programs that bypass years of litigation.

Why this matters for children
When good parents disappear, children lose access to emotional stability and identity continuity. A system that measures parenting by wealth undermines its stated mission: acting in the best interest of the child.