Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-05-19Epub Date: 2026-03-19DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70053
Alexandra Crampton, Randall D. Fuller
{"title":"The coming of age: Why aging matters in family law and public policy","authors":"Alexandra Crampton, Randall D. Fuller","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70053","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Demographic trends manifest in family law cases, and this article examines the demographic factor of age. Beyond metaphors of a “graying society,” population aging affects family structures, caregiving responsibilities, and legal disputes. Through a U.S. perspective with comparative insights, this article highlights how aging intersects with custody, divorce, domestic violence, multigenerational interdependencies and responsibilities, and family conflict dynamics. Case studies illustrate why age-inclusive approaches and multigenerational perspectives on family cases can facilitate dispute resolution. We also extend attention to the aging of family law professionals as we increasingly work in multigenerational spaces with potentially difficult conversations around capacity and retirement.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 2","pages":"178-195"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148085854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-05-19Epub Date: 2026-04-07DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70052
Michael D. Kaplan
{"title":"Numbers never lie: Streamlining financial elder abuse claims in relation to article 81 proceedings","authors":"Michael D. Kaplan","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite receiving major reform in the form of Article 81, there is a great need for continued improvement of guardianship proceedings. People suffering from neurodegenerative diseases are particularly susceptible to financial abuse. The current guardianship system requires enhancements to ensure that incapacitated adults are not being taken advantage of through their reliance on the assistance provided by Article 81. The proposed reform will institute a system similar to that employed by the Integrated Domestic Violence Courts in Family Court.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 2","pages":"427-441"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148068966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-05-19Epub Date: 2026-03-23DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70068
Albertina Antognini, Naomi Cahn, Cynthia Godsoe, Clare Huntington, Kaiponanea T. Matsumura, Aníbal Rosario-Lebrón, Edward Stein
{"title":"Seventh roundtable on nonmarriage and the law: Introduction","authors":"Albertina Antognini, Naomi Cahn, Cynthia Godsoe, Clare Huntington, Kaiponanea T. Matsumura, Aníbal Rosario-Lebrón, Edward Stein","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70068","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 2","pages":"333-334"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148089455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-02-26Epub Date: 2026-02-18DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70051
Mariah Webb
{"title":"Sexual healing: The case for a medical exception to the ban on prostitution","authors":"Mariah Webb","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70051","DOIUrl":"10.1111/fcre.70051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sexual dysfunction in young people is on the rise. This trend has dramatic implications for key state interests, including fertility rates, economic growth, and overall well-being. The serious consequences associated with poor sexual health in childbearing-age citizens call for creative solutions. One such solution is Surrogate Partner Therapy (“SPT”), a highly effective form of treatment for people suffering from severe cases of psychogenic sexual dysfunction. SPT establishes a triadic relationship among the patient, a licensed mental health professional, and a trained surrogate partner who may use intimate contact to instill patients with the skills necessary to form healthy connections. However, because its unorthodox methods likely violate state anti-prostitution laws, SPT is rarely utilized. This article argues that, given SPT's promising potential to address the rise of psychosexual ailments in young people, state governments should create a limited medical exception to their prohibitions on prostitution.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 1","pages":"112-123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fcre.70051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147566814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-02-26Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70042
Laura Merla, Bérengère Nobels
{"title":"From fortresses to open islands: Negotiating time, space, and material flows between parental homes in shared residential arrangements","authors":"Laura Merla, Bérengère Nobels","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70042","DOIUrl":"10.1111/fcre.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines how separated parents establish boundaries between their respective households when sharing physical custody of their children. Framed through the metaphor of an archipelago, each parental home is conceptualized as an ‘island’, capturing how children navigate life across two distinct yet interconnected households. Drawing on interviews with 21 Belgian children (aged 10–16) from 17 families, we propose a typology of five parental ‘islands’: (a) ‘fortress island’; (b) ‘cocoon island’; (c) ‘reef island’; (d) ‘open island’; and (e) ‘wild island’. Each island has its own characteristics and properties in which specific and distinct practices and subcultures can develop. While tensions between islands can—and often do—exist, this does not prevent children from experiencing home as a unified whole grounded in their sense of belonging and familiarity. Our typology serves as a conceptual tool for family law and mental health professionals to help families reflect on and improve their co-parenting arrangements post-separation.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 1","pages":"15-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fcre.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-02-26Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70047
Bruce M. Smyth, Megan Reid Hobbs, Jan K. Stokkebekk
{"title":"From here to there and the in-between: Children's transitions between homes after parental separation","authors":"Bruce M. Smyth, Megan Reid Hobbs, Jan K. Stokkebekk","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70047","DOIUrl":"10.1111/fcre.70047","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Two potentially important aspects of post-separation parenting arrangements are the number and nature of children's transitions between homes. Yet scant empirical attention has been paid to the practical, emotional, and relational aspects of these. In this paper, we examine five contextual factors that shape how children and parents experience and interpret transitions: changeover locations, transition routines and rituals, transitional containers, transitional objects, and transitional people. In-depth interviews were conducted with a non-probability purposive sample of 40 separated parents (13 mothers, 27 fathers) recruited primarily through family and relationship support services. Two-thirds of participants reported high levels of interparental conflict; 45% had shared-time arrangements. While changeovers varied, some parents felt safer or more comfortable using public locations instead of homes. Parents used strategies like visual timetables, comfort items, and calming routines to support children's emotional wellbeing during transitions. Siblings and grandparents also provided key support and continuity. Aside from offering practical insights for family law system professionals, our findings also have implications for staff working in elementary schools, kindergartens, foster care, and child day-care in supporting children's initial and ongoing transitions to and from these settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 1","pages":"33-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-02-26Epub Date: 2026-01-15DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70043
William Jason Murphy
{"title":"Teamwork makes the dream work: Increasing the use of alternative dispute resolution for custody battles","authors":"William Jason Murphy","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70043","DOIUrl":"10.1111/fcre.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Litigating private matters in a public forum must become a thing of the past, especially when the litigation involves children. In an adversarial court system such as the one used in the U.S., parties become focused on winning and lose sight of what the best outcome for the family is. Using Alternative Dispute Resolution to decide matters of family law would help save parties time, money, and emotional harm, as well as create a more cooperative setting to decide family matters.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 1","pages":"154-168"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-02-26Epub Date: 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70035
Michael A. Saini
{"title":"New footprints on an old trail","authors":"Michael A. Saini","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70035","DOIUrl":"10.1111/fcre.70035","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 1","pages":"10-11"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Family Court ReviewPub Date : 2026-02-26Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1111/fcre.70040
Georgina Dimopoulos, Eliza Hew
{"title":"“Courts are not … therapeutic agencies”: What role for therapeutic jurisprudence in Australian family law parenting disputes involving family violence?","authors":"Georgina Dimopoulos, Eliza Hew","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70040","DOIUrl":"10.1111/fcre.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article examines the role of therapeutic jurisprudence in Australian post-separation parenting disputes involving family violence. A recent appellate court decision has asserted that “courts are not, and cannot operate like, therapeutic agencies”. We engage with the therapeutic origins of the Family Court of Australia, the family courts' role in the “web of accountability” for family violence, the potential for judicial officers to motivate behavioral change in litigants, and therapeutic approaches to family law in various jurisdictions, to suggest how Australia's family courts may embrace therapeutic jurisprudence to promote the accountability of people who use violence, and the safety of those who experience it.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"64 1","pages":"83-99"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}