HB 1499 Gets Its Hearing: Supporters Fill the Room, Opponents Raise Safety Concerns, No Vote Announced
House Bill 1499 in Pennsylvania proposes equal parenting time as the default in custody cases. Following a lengthy committee review, it received mixed responses with significant opposition citing concerns over domestic violence and custody fairness.…
Pennsylvania’s Custody Bill Gets Its Day at the Capitol. Whether It Gets a Vote Is Another Question.
Pennsylvania's House Bill 1499 proposes equal parenting time as the legal standard in custody cases, aiming for shared physical and legal custody near 50%. The bill emphasizes child safety considerations and requires clear evidence for any deviations.…
The Custody Standard the Dog Got First
Illinois' House Bill 4540, known as "Rosie's Law," establishes a best-interest test for companion animal custody disputes, effective January 1, 2027. It allows courts to consider caregiving history and emotional bonds among various relationships, unlike…
The Contact Nobody Compels
The disparity in enforcement mechanisms between child support and parenting-time orders highlights systemic issues in U.S. family courts. While child support enforcement is robust and federally mandated, access rights lack comparable structures. This…
Arizona Rewrites Its Domestic Violence Custody Standard: What the Alec and Lydia Act Actually Changes
Arizona’s Alec and Lydia Act removes the old “significant domestic violence” threshold and replaces it with a broader, more structured custody standard. Here’s what HB2995 actually changes — and what remains unresolved.
The Child Gets a Microphone. Who Controls the Room?
New Jersey's revised custody statute, under Kayden's Law, emphasizes children's expressed preferences in custody arrangements and mandates judicial documentation when such preferences are overlooked. However, it does not guarantee that children will be…
Disability Pride Month Ends At The Courthouse Door
In July, politicians will commemorate the ADA's anniversary, yet it doesn't protect disabled parents in family courts, where their rights often face termination due to disability. Recent studies reveal that 42 states maintain statutes allowing parental…
Equal Custody Becomes the Starting Point
Mississippi has become the sixth state to adopt a rebuttable presumption of equal physical custody in child custody cases, effective July 1, 2026. Under House Bill 1662, courts must assume parents share custody 50-50 unless evidence shows otherwise. The…
The Price of the Circuit
The family court system's failures stem from a funding structure that incentivizes parents' separation. Federal grants and funding programs bolster a closed system, resulting in inadequate responses to parental alienation. Despite recent reforms,…
Mississippi Is Four Days Away from Rewriting Custody Law. Here’s What’s at Stake.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves must decide by April 13 whether to sign House Bill 1662, which mandates joint custody as a starting point for custody cases. If signed, it would reshape family court procedures, promoting equal parenting and requiring…