I have never actually had my children taken away, but I have had to deal with Child Protective Services on three separate occasions due to false allegations from a vindictive ex-wife. Each time, the claims against me proved to be baseless, but the meddling that goes on in your life when you are put under the microscope is absolutely ridiculous. Any type of contested divorce in the United States is a matter of handing your sovereignty as a parent over to the state, and, thanks to "no-fault divorce" laws, one parent almost inevitably finds themselves dealing with the over-reaching family court system against his will.