{"title":"The Restatement of the Law: Children and the Law – An important tool for judges as well as practitioners","authors":"Holly J. Fujie","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70009","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article describes the many ways in which the Restatement of the Law- Children and the Law, can be used by judges and practitioners throughout the country as a resource for easy access to the law as it relates to children from custody and juvenile issues to the rights of students to free speech in schools.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"394-400"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681225","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}
{"title":"PPD, find out what it means to me: Why improved access to mental health care is necessary for new mothers in the early postpartum period","authors":"Nicole S. Mancuso","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Postpartum depression can negatively impact a woman's life well past the initial postpartum period. The struggle often lies in the difficulty to diagnose, and then adequately treat the condition. Further, with such limited unpaid maternity leave offered federally through the Family Medical Leave Act, women often struggle to have enough time and financial resources to access necessary treatment. This Note proposes alternative options for supporting women who suffer from postpartum depression in offering extended and fully paid maternity leave for private and public employees that is funded by contributions split between the employer and employee.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"530-545"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681224","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}
Peter Jaffe, Nicholas Bala, Archana Medhekar, Katreena Scott, Casey Oliver
{"title":"Appropriate parenting arrangements in cases of intimate partner violence and coercive control: From research and legislative reform to changes in practice","authors":"Peter Jaffe, Nicholas Bala, Archana Medhekar, Katreena Scott, Casey Oliver","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Family violence and coercive control are increasingly being recognized in legislation and practice as critical factors to consider in determining children's best interests in making appropriate post-separation parenting arrangements. Professional practices have also become more trauma and violence-informed and better able to recognize and respond to the impact of violence on survivors and their children. Assessing the validity and context of family violence allegations is critical for making appropriate post-separation parenting arrangements. In cases where there are family violence concerns, court responses need to take account of the potential harm that perpetrators present to the children and the other parent. Findings of family violence should lead to a differentiated approach to parenting arrangements depending on the severity and history of family violence and coercive control, the timing of the disclosures, and the resources available to address safety for the adult victim and children. Arrangements may vary according to the potential need for restrictive parenting time, and may include supervised exchanges, supervised parenting, or no parenting time. This article reviews literature and legal developments to proposes a framework for better understanding and responding to continuing post-separation effects of domestic violence and coercive control.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"467-490"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681226","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}
{"title":"Exposing the crumbling justification for absolute prosecutorial discretion in youth filing decisions","authors":"Nina A. Herth, Chinh Q. Le","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70010","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Can absolute prosecutorial discretion in youth charging decisions—like that allowed under Title 16 in the District of Columbia—continue to withstand legal, scientific, and policy-based scrutiny? The recently-approved Restatement of Children and the Law adds to the weight of authorities casting further doubt on the wisdom of such discretion. Most jurisdictions do not permit prosecutors to charge children in adult court unilaterally, requiring a transfer hearing and constitutional safeguards. Among the few that allow “direct file” transfers, nearly all provide some form of judicial review, generally through reverse waiver provisions. D.C., however, stands alone in giving unelected federal prosecutors at the United States Attorney’s Office unchecked authority to charge 16- and 17-year-olds as adults, without any opportunity for judicial review. This approach is at odds with current research on adolescent brain development and the constitutional protections for youth that have evolved alongside it.</p><p>Drawing on the Restatement, this article examines the broader national move away from “direct file” transfer authority, exposing the glaring persistence of outdated practices in D.C. It revisits the failed 2021 legislative reform effort before the D.C. Council to eliminate the U.S. Attorney’s “direct file” authority, and argues that, in the absence of legislative change, legal advocates may need to pursue reform through the courts—particularly given Title 16’s potential vulnerability under the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Ultimately, the article contends that the Restatement, through its “child wellbeing” framework, offers not only a clear articulation of where transfer laws currently stand and how D.C.’s practice diverges but also suggests where the law might ought to be going and provides materials from which law reform advocates can construct futures legal challenges to laws like Title 16.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"401-414"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/fcre.70010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681573","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}
{"title":"“Parental alienation” cases: Experiences of Ontario legal and mental health professionals","authors":"Rachel Birnbaum, Nicholas Bala","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper reports on two related studies on the experiences of Ontario therapists, parenting evaluators, child protection service (CPS) staff, and lawyers for parents, children and CPS about parent–child contact problem cases involving claims of parental alienation. One qualitative study was based on interviews with 62 professionals (45 parents' lawyers and 17 therapists) involved in reported Ontario cases between 2010 and 2022 where the court made a finding of parental alienation. The second qualitative study was based on nine focus groups with 50 Ontario professionals (31 children's lawyers, four CPS lawyers, five CPS workers and 10 parenting evaluators) about their experiences with this type of high conflict separation case. The majority of professionals in both studies found that parents in these cases are often very challenging clients. The professionals shared their frustration that the family justice system is slow to respond and has few effective legal responses or clinical resources that can provide appropriate services for these cases. The studies highlight the complexity of these cases and the need for the family justice system to better provide coordinated legal and clinical responses for these families. There is a need for more evidence-based collaborative interdisciplinary practice, research and professional education.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"491-515"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681632","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}
{"title":"We don't talk anymore: How stronger interstate communication improves child maltreatment investigations and prevention","authors":"Alexis R. Parkes","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Child Maltreatment is a widespread childhood public health issue. A possible solution to help alleviate child maltreatment as a public health issue is the improvement of interstate communication among Child Protective Agencies, holding interstate perpetrators accountable for their abuse and neglect of children. The government recognized the need for interstate communication in 2006, but a child maltreatment registry was never created. Interstate communication among agencies is almost non-existent. This Note proposes establishing a National Registry for Founded Cases of Child Maltreatment to boost interstate communication among different Child Welfare agencies to improve investigative techniques and prevention strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"546-560"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681633","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}
{"title":"#Real_life #Blogger #Sponsored_post #Implementing_financial_protections_for_influencer_children_and_children_of_influencers","authors":"Elysse Anderson","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70008","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A growing phenomenon in this country is the existence of parent social media influencers. These influencers are parents who utilize their children in monetized posts to make money. Whether the parents are getting paid by the number of views they receive, or it is a sponsored post, they are forcing their children to work without pay. This Note proposes a New York state law which provides financial protections for children by requiring they be paid for their work, a part of that payment goes into a trust, and imposing civil penalties for parents who violate the law.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"516-529"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681538","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}
{"title":"The Restatement of Children and the Law: A roadmap for ongoing law reform","authors":"Marsha Levick","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article discusses some key provisions of the new ALI Restatement of Children and the Law with a specific focus on how the Restatement reflects doctrinal developments in children's law over the last two decades as well as significant research that has informed those doctrinal developments, and points out how advocates can use the Restatement to further advance children's rights and interests in the justice system.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"423-434"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681537","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}
{"title":"The developmental perspective on juvenile justice policy and practice","authors":"Laurence Steinberg","doi":"10.1111/fcre.70011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This essay reviews the most important lessons in this chapter for judges, legal practitioners, and child advocates with respect to the application of developmental science to policy and practice in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. First, some widely accepted beliefs about the nature of development ultimately have been disproven by developmental science. There was a time not long ago, when it was commonly believed that no significant brain development takes place beyond age 18. Second, developmental science can give more specific answers to questions about where to draw certain age boundaries than is possible solely on the basis of common sense. On average, studies have shown that by the time they are 16, individuals possess adult cognitive capacity to engage in thoughtful decision-making when they aren't under time pressure or emotionally aroused, but the capacity to be thoughtful when they are hurried, in situations that are affectively charged, or with other teenagers doesn't mature until 21 or later. Finally, science can help legal decision-makers determine how much an adolescent's behavior was voluntary and how much it was not under their control.</p>","PeriodicalId":51627,"journal":{"name":"Family Court Review","volume":"63 3","pages":"435-445"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144681587","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}