Famous Attorney Exposes Dark Secrets of Family Court

But it isn’t going to make him very popular with his bottom-feeding brethren…

Mark John Geragos, 65, is a criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles, the managing partner of Geragos and Geragos, founded by Mark and his late father, Paul, in 1983.

Mark has represented many notable clients, including:

Whitewater’s Susan McDougal

 NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield

Convicted murderer Scott Peterson

Kesha

Clare Bronfman

Actress Winona Ryder

Singer Michael Jackson

Roger Clinton Jr., President Clinton’s brother

Actor Keith Carradine

Greg Anderson, the personal trainer of baseball player Barry Bonds

Cameron Brown, who was convicted of murdering his four-year-old daughter by throwing her off a cliff

Victor Willis, the Village People’s frontman

Japanese businessman Kazuyoshi Miura

Rapper Chris Brown

Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick

Actor Jussie Smollett

Basketball player Scottie Pippen

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez

Geragos also appears as a guest and legal commentator on shows such as the Today Show, Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper 360°, On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren, Larry King Live, CNN, and does a weekly podcast with Adam Carolla.

Geragos appeared on News Nation last week in connection with the purported suicide of Catherine Kassenoff.

Download Mark-Geragos-on-Banfield-Family-Court-short.mp4

Here is what he said about family court.

Mark Geragos:

My father used to call the family law courts, the battle of the perjuries.

There is a very insular, incestuous system. One of the problems is in family court, you don’t get a jury. The judge decides everything.

You have a system. I always say they’ve only got about 10 moves. And the 10 moves involve basically liquidating your assets, everybody who’s there, until you have no more assets, and then you get to a settlement that you probably could have gotten to in a mediated setting to begin with.

If you add in custody issues, the case goes on forever. It just escalates to a point where you can’t see straight.

It’s one of the reasons I think I’ve done one family law case in 40 years, and I would never do another.

I’ve got friends who go through this all the time.

I will sit and counsel them that “It makes no sense. Why are you fighting over the money? Why are you fighting over the assets? These are your, basically, your heirs. And all you’re doing is putting your lawyers’ heirs through college, or putting your lawyers’ heirs through law school, when you should be saving those assets and mediate.”

It doesn’t matter.

You can talk to somebody you’re close to, who is seemingly rational, and they just default.

And they get fed and pumped up [by the family law attorneys], you know, to some degree.

I have this fight with family law lawyers that I’m close to all the time.

I tell them that you’re not doing the client any service by telling them, “I need more information. I need a forensic. I need a psych. I need this. I need that. And that whole coterie of experts that surrounds it.”

The Family Court Family

Making Money Off Divorce and Custody

Family law attorneys for husband and wife

Attorneys for children

Guardians ad litem

Forensic mental health professionals

Case-blind didactic experts

One-sided evaluators

Work-product reviewers

Testifying consultants

Non-testifying consultants

Therapeutic psychologists

Forensic psychologists

Supervised visitation monitors

Therapists for the family

Therapists for the child

Therapists for the parent

Therapists providing information to the evaluator

Social workers

FR Artwork

From time to time, Frank Report accepts art from various artists, and one of our art critics will give readers insight into the themes presented.

Artist Samuel Reynolds’

“The Custody Evaluator”

Samuel Reynolds’ “The Custody Evaluator” is a thought-provoking oil painting that delves into the custody evaluation process in family court. He reveals the perspicacious faces of a fictional evaluator whose work finances family lawyers, attorneys for children, and the grand cast of court actors who benefit from this lucrative profession.

Reynolds skillfully portrays the fictional evaluator, Abraham Marks, whose pursuit of the American dream pushes ethical boundaries and is driven by his desire to provide for his family of family court professionals.

This figure, depicted with realism and meticulous attention to detail, captures the evaluator’s sharp gaze and his ability to prioritize his own interests under the guise of determining the best interests of others.

Using a vibrant color palette, Reynolds sets a contemplative tone. The mid-hues of the paintings symbolize the self-interest that permeates the evaluator’s actions, while shadows and contrasts enhance the underlying tension within the artwork.

With deft brushwork, Reynolds brings to life the referral-dependent cupid nature of the evaluator, guided by the guardian ad litem and family law attorneys. This highlights the practicality of the evaluator, rather than an impossible commitment to impartiality which no human possesses.

The canvas becomes a battleground where the protective parent, unaware of the system’s workings, naively seeks justice and is thrust into a chaotic struggle against the affluent but abusive parent.

“The Evaluator” prompts a custody question about the intelligence of those without the financial means to purchase custody, who believe justice will determine the fate of their children in family court.

Reynolds calls attention to the economic benefit of children being transferred to the custody of the abuser, who is willing to pay for desired outcomes in court.

Reynolds skillfully employs his brushwork to explore the benefits derived from the commodification of lost children, emphasizing that those who can afford to purchase custody are better positioned to impart their values to the child.

Through “The Evaluator,” Reynolds reminds us of the prevailing influence of economic interests in family court, overshadowing the subjective mutable needs of children. The welfare of children is subject to change, while the financial gains of family court actors remain constant.

Disclaimer: The artist, Samuel Reynolds, created a fictional character in his painting, and it does not necessarily reflect the views or experiences of real-life individuals.