Here is a summary of our work on this major television program:

Putative Father Registries

An Oregon man was powerless to prevent his biological child from being adopted away from him because he hadn’t signed the state’s “putative father registry.”

Mel Feit went on the “Dr. Phil” show to point out the clear double standard: Had the biological mother in this case wanted this man to pay child support, the Oregon Court would have ordered him to pay and no one would have said a word about any registry. Putative Father Registries, which exist in about 25 states, are simply obstacles put in the way of biological fathers who want to assert parental rights. The objective of these registries is to assure that women have unfettered reproductive choice.

Mel made this common-sense proposal: “When a single, unwed mother gives birth to a baby, ask her who the father is and call him up and say, ‘What do you think? Do you want your kid placed for adoption?'”

Men’s Reproductive Rights Revisited

The “Dr. Phil” show aired a follow-up to a show we previously did for them on men’s choice.

Matt Dubay, the courageous plaintiff of “Roe vs. Wade For Men,” was featured on the show for a second time. Nicole and Noel Erdmier, (NCM clients forced into parenthood), Dianne Jahr (Matt Dubay’s mom) and Mel Feit were also on the panel.

The times are changing. Phil McGraw displayed a greater depth of understanding than he did the first time with us and his large audience is also beginning to get it. Our hard work is starting to pay off…

Custody Chaos

Mel was back on the set of “Dr. Phil,” offering commentary on a nasty custody case in which ex-spouses had difficulty putting personal animosity aside for the sake of their children. Mel debated his favorite foil, attorney Gloria Allred, and he said that a custodial parent had a legal and moral obligation to facilitate the children’s contact with the non-custodial parent. Failure to do so, Mel argued, was grounds to lose custody and could also put children at risk of becoming alienated from the non-custodial parent, usually the father.

Phil McGraw seemed to agree with Mel that parental alienation might be considered child abuse. Mel also maintained that there was a clear double standard in enforcement of family court decisions, with dads sometimes being thrown in prison while moms often disobeyed court orders without consequence.

Fathers and Child Support: Are Men Being Forced into Delinquency?

“Dr. Phil” aired a program about child support which examined whether the law treats men fairly. Mel Feit debated Lis Wiehl, lawyer and FOX News commentator. The debate focused on the government’s role in forcing otherwise responsible men into becoming delinquent in their child support obligations.

For a more detailed look at the stories on the show and NCM’s perspective on these stories, please click here.

Parental Alienation Syndrome

“Dr. Phil” aired a program devoted to the subject of Parental Alienation Syndrome. NCM director, Mel Feit, participated in a panel discussion which included a debate about whether parental alienation syndrome really exists.

For a more detailed analysis of parental alienation syndrome, please click here.

Custody Heartbreak

After Peter Foy’s wife passed away, his sister-in-law sought custody of Peter’s six-year-old daughter, making accusations against Peter in her court papers. The court issued a “temporary” restraining order against Peter but the court-ordered separation has now resulted in a somewhat strained relationship between father and daughter.

Will the alienation, abetted by the court, be grounds to remove Peter from his daughter? Mel Feit debated the attorney for Peter’s sister-in-law on the “Dr. Phil” stage .

Comments on the “Dr. Phil” message boards, posted after the show, were overwhelmingly in support of Peter Foy but, unfortunately, the trial judge didn’t share the public’s opinion and Peter lost his case.

We look forward to reading your comments about our Dr. Phil shows, all of which are in re-runs on cable. They may go on forever!