The Prescription Nobody Can Enforce
A West Virginia father's push for timely vaccinations for their children clashes with their mother's vaccine skepticism, leading to custody disputes in family court. The article explores the inadequacies of family court in resolving medical disagreements…
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 Orders That Can’t Follow You Home
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao responded to a viral plea from Marine spouse Jamie Lenio, who feared being trapped overseas during her divorce. While Cao's order facilitated her family's return, it did not address the underlying legal issue of…
The Burden Nobody Notices Shifting
A Bronx mother avoided a murder conviction after psychiatric experts agreed she was psychotic when she killed her two sons. The ruling exposes a deeper question about expert testimony, juries, and who bears the burden of proving criminal responsibility.
The Statement Nobody Lets Him Give
Massachusetts gives families of homicide victims a formal voice when a defendant is sentenced. But if Lindsay Clancy is found not criminally responsible, Patrick Clancy may enter a very different legal process — one without the same explicit…
The Mitigation Nobody Carries Home
Massachusetts is considering a bill to acknowledge postpartum psychiatric illness as a mitigating factor in criminal cases, allowing for potential resentencing of women convicted without regard for their mental health. However, in family court, mental…
The Lawyer Nobody Fully Hires
Unbundled legal representation is increasingly proposed as a solution to the access-to-justice gap in family court, where most litigants self-represent. However, it often fails to address the complexities of contested cases. While it can be beneficial…
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.
Diagnosis as Evidence
In California family courts, a parent's psychiatric diagnosis can suffice as evidence of dangerousness for a domestic violence restraining order, even without corroboration. The law's low evidentiary standard allows subjective claims to influence serious…