Heritage Defense is an alliance of Christian families and individuals united together to advance the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the family. This mission is actively championed by attorneys and staff who are dedicated to fulfilling the mission through the vigorous application of Biblical standards and methodology in the areas of law and public policy. Heritage Defense is a non-profit, 501(c)(4) legal advocacy organization.

The mission of Heritage Defense is to advance the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the biblical family.

Heritage Defense protects and empowers the biblical family by providing legal assistance, distributing helpful information, offering sound scholarship, and promoting strong public policy initiatives on behalf of families.

For well over a century, in this country and around the world, the biblical family has been under relentless attack. Over time, many of the legal protections and fundamental liberties once recognized as belonging to the family have been eroded. Despite efforts by heroic men and women, the family has suffered great loss from persistent and determined state and federal jurisdictional intrusions. Although many Christian families have not experienced this attack as directly, perhaps, as others, all of us are affected. Every time a Christian family is persecuted, threatened, intimidated, coerced, or destroyed for obeying God’s commands, the Gospel is slandered, Christian zeal is chilled, and Christendom is harmed. The founders of Heritage Defense see a critical need for a legal advocacy organization which unites families, family-focused organizations, and other Christian leaders to provide for the common defense of family freedoms. Heritage Defense seeks to formulate a common strategy for the preservation of family rights, the defense of the family against illegitimate invasions, and the development of a legal framework by which families may enjoy future protection.

Yes—Heritage Defense is thoroughly committed to the Christian world and life view, and its aim is to function as members of the Body of Christ coming together to build one another up as we seek to advance the kingdom of God. Because of this, membership status is only granted to applicants who are professing Christians. Nevertheless, non-Christians are welcome to make donations and support our efforts in other ways. Protecting and empowering the biblical family benefits all families, regardless of religious affiliation.

As God provides, the work of Heritage Defense is largely driven financially by the annual contributions of our member families. Families who desire to give beyond this amount, and other individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations may also financially support the mission in other ways. Those who do not need to receive a federal tax-deduction for their donation may make a donation of any amount directly to Heritage Defense. Churches, 501(c)(3) organizations, and other businesses, families, and individuals who need a tax deduction may still support the mission of Heritage Defense by making a tax-deductible donation to Heritage Defense Foundation (a 501(c)(3) organization), which is devoted to furthering the mission of advancing the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the biblical family.

Heritage Defense currently operates in all fifty states of the United States of America.

To become a member of Heritage Defense, all you need to do is fill out a membership application and make your membership contribution. A Heritage Defense attorney will review your application. If your application is not approved for any reason, your membership contribution will be returned to you along with a brief note of explanation.

The standard cost of membership with Heritage Defense is $19 per month or $190 per year.

Funded by our member’s contributions and other donations, Heritage Defense provides legal representation for member families when they experience social services/child protective services related conflicts with local, state, and federal governmental entities as a result of following biblical protocol in the training and discipline of their children. We are also committed to providing our member families with in-depth legal analysis and other information involving the struggle for the rights of the family. Furthermore, we provide the ability for our member families to play a greater role in the political process through our grassroots lobbying efforts. Finally, when you become a member of Heritage Defense, you are not just protecting and empowering your own family, you are standing with your brothers and sisters in Christ and bearing one another’s burdens. When one Christian family is encouraged, strengthened, protected, and ultimately vindicated in their obedience to God’s principles, all of Christendom is emboldened and the Gospel and crown rights of Christ are advanced. Find out more about the specific benefits of membership by visiting our Membership Benefits page.

Our normal office hours are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Central Time, Monday through Friday. In the case of a genuine legal emergency, attorneys are available to our members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Yes, but Heritage Defense may not be able to provide representation for the pre-existing situation. In order to keep the cost of membership low and to provide our members with the best quality of service, Heritage Defense generally does not grant membership to individuals already involved in legal conflicts. If you are presently involved in a legal conflict and you are not a member, you are invited to submit an application for membership. As with all other applications, the approval of a membership application for those already involved in legal conflicts will be subject to the discretion of a Heritage Defense attorney.

Yes. Heritage Defense membership is currently limited to home educating families. We strongly encourage all families to home educate their children.

Heritage Defense is a national legal advocacy organization open to accepting and serving member families in each of the fifty states.

Consistent with Internal Revenue Service regulations, we cannot guarantee representation in every case. However, it is our intent to come to the aid of our members (and non-members in special cases) who suffer governmental social service related interference in the jurisdiction of their families as a result of obedience to Scriptural standards of child training and discipline. This is an important part of our effort to fulfill the mission of Heritage Defense to advance the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the biblical family.

Heritage Defense will attempt to resolve any issues with social services at the initial contact. Consequently, we encourage our members to call us immediately upon any hint of a threat of a social services contact or investigation. If our attorneys are unable to resolve the legal issues outside of court, then Heritage Defense will seek to zealously defend the rights of our member families in the courts.

No. While Heritage Defense is not affiliated with or endorsed by HSLDA, we are extremely grateful for the heroic work of HSLDA and others in securing and safeguarding the right to homeschool and helping families navigate the homeschooling process. However, for child protective services (CPS) matters related to medical decisions, child discipline, and other non-homeschooling issues, HSLDA does not commit to assisting beyond initial contacts with CPS. Heritage Defense covers even non-homeschooling CPS matters for the whole case, including representation in court.

Generally, no—Heritage Defense typically does not assist with matters involving domestic disputes, divorce, related child custody proceedings, or public adoptions.

Absolutely not. Heritage Defense reserves the right to conduct a preliminary investigation prior to initiating legal representation to determine whether actual abuse has occurred. We reserve the right to decline representation in such a case.

Yes, Heritage Defense is committed to monitoring each of the fifty states for legislation relating to family rights. Heritage Defense is also committed to periodically offering legislation designed to protect and empower the biblical family.

Heritage Defense believes that parents have a right and a duty to exercise reasonable, loving, appropriate corporal punishment relating to the discipline and instruction of their children when Scripture indicates such discipline is proper.