09/19/2026
💜⚔️💜 Survivor Advocacy Briefing:
1. Arizona family-court professionals just focused on new legislation and the family-court/DCS intersection
Jurisdiction: Arizona
Type: Family-court training / emerging practice development
Date: September 18, 2026
The Arizona Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts held its 2026 Orientation & Training Conference yesterday at ASU’s Beus Center for Law and Society in Phoenix. The multidisciplinary training brought together judges, attorneys, mental-health professionals, mediators and other family-court professionals, with programming focused on recent Arizona legislative developments and the intersection of family court, dependency proceedings and DCS.
The timing matters because Arizona family-court professionals are now working under major 2026 statutory changes involving domestic violence, coercive control, parenting time and child safety.
Why it matters: Watch what judges, GALs, evaluators and attorneys are being trained to recognize. Survivors frequently experience family court, DCS and protective-order proceedings as separate systems even though the evidence overlaps. Your documentation should therefore be built so the same underlying facts—dates, conduct, child impact, police/DCS involvement and supporting exhibits—can be understood consistently across systems.
Sources= Arizona AFCC is also listing an upcoming “Safety First: Family Violence in the Context of Family Law” online program for September 29–October 1. https://womengiving.org/about/certification/
Arizona AFCC — events and training: https://azafcc.org/events/
2. The 50/50 custody movement just expanded again — Louisiana and Mississippi are the newest states
Jurisdictions: Louisiana and Mississippi
Type: Enacted custody laws / national family-court trend
Latest report: September 18, 2026
Louisiana and Mississippi have joined at least five other states with laws establishing equal or approximately equal parenting time as the starting point in custody cases. Mississippi now requires courts to begin with equally shared parenting time; a parent seeking something different must present evidence showing why 50/50 is not in the child’s best interest. Louisiana changed its statutory wording so custody “shall” be divided equally rather than merely saying it “should” be.
They join Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, Florida and Missouri in the growing shared-parenting movement. Judges can override the presumption when credible evidence supports another arrangement.
The survivor-safety debate is significant. Critics argue that starting with 50/50 can create an additional evidentiary burden for a protective parent who says equal time would expose a child to an unsafe parent. Supporters argue the presumption creates a neutral starting point and reduces custody conflict.
Why it matters: This trend makes pre-filing evidence preparation increasingly important. In a presumption state, “I don’t think 50/50 is safe” may not be enough. A survivor may need organized, admissible evidence showing why equal parenting time is inconsistent with the child’s best interests—particularly evidence of domestic violence, coercive control, threats, substance abuse, unsafe caregiving or measurable impact on the child.
SOURCE = WLRN/Florida Phoenix — More states embrace 50-50 child custody: https://www.wlrn.org/law-justice/2026-09-18/more-states-embrace-50-50-child-custody-in-divorce-cases
3. Fresh Indiana custody decision shows why domestic-violence evidence and precise court orders both matter
Jurisdiction: Indiana
Type: Court decision — Green v. McDaniel, 26A-DC-526
Decided: September 17, 2026
Status: Memorandum decision; persuasive rather than binding precedent
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed a custody modification that gave the father legal and primary physical custody after evidence showed the children were being exposed to domestic violence in the mother’s household. Evidence included GAL testimony, a probable-cause affidavit, reports of repeated volatile arguments and testimony describing an incident in which the mother’s partner allegedly threatened to kill her while she was holding a child and she suffered visible injuries.
But the appellate court did something equally important: it reversed the contempt finding against the mother. The trial judge had held her in contempt for exposing the children to domestic violence and failing to exclude her partner from the home. The appellate court found that the existing orders had not actually required her to exclude him. Without a clear order commanding that conduct, the court said she could not be held in contempt for willfully violating it.
Why it matters: There are two strategy lessons here. First, exposure to domestic violence can materially affect a custody determination. Second, courts cannot simply turn a generalized “best interests” obligation into a contempt command after the fact. When requesting protective conditions, ask for specific, enforceable language—who may be present, where exchanges occur, what contact is prohibited, whether supervision is required and exactly what each parent must do.
SOURCE = Green v. McDaniel — Indiana Court of Appeals decision: https://law.justia.com/cases/indiana/court-of-appeals/2026/26a-dc-00526.html
4. California has a package of survivor and victim-support legislation sitting on the Governor’s desk
Jurisdiction: California
Type: Proposed legislation — not yet enacted
Status update: September 17, 2026
The California Victim Compensation Board’s newest legislative update identifies several victim-related bills now awaiting gubernatorial action. AB 2297 would require courts to order restitution for a victim’s economic losses even when a defendant enters a diversion program. AB 2247 would establish the T.H.R.I.V.E. pilot in Los Angeles County to fund mental-health and counseling services for young survivors of gun violence. SB 891 would establish a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program within the California Department of Justice.
California has already enacted related funding this year: AB 109 includes $12.5 million for Trauma Recovery Center grants, including funding for Flexible Emergency Cash Assistance.
Why it matters: Survivor safety is not just about restraining orders. Economic loss, emergency cash, trauma treatment and access to coordinated services can determine whether someone can actually remain separated from an abusive situation. Advocates should watch which of these bills the governor signs because they could create additional referral and recovery resources.
SOURCE = California Victim Compensation Board — September 17 legislative update: https://victims.ca.gov/legislative-update-9-17-2026/
5. Two live DOJ opportunities are especially worth putting on the survivor-advocacy radar
Jurisdiction: Federal / United States
Type: Funding opportunities
Deadlines: September 29 and October 8, 2026
The Office on Violence Against Women currently has its Disability Grant Program open through September 29. It funds training, consultation and improved services addressing domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault and caregiver abuse against people with disabilities and Deaf people. Eligible applicants include qualifying victim-service organizations and certain nonprofit organizations serving people with disabilities.
A second opportunity is particularly interesting from a court-access perspective: the Electronic Service Protection Order Court Pilot Program, open through October 8. It funds state, territorial and Tribal courts working through multidisciplinary partnerships to develop lawful electronic methods of serving protection orders.
Why it matters: Electronic service could address a very practical protection-order problem: an order provides limited protection if the respondent cannot be served promptly. And for nonprofit planning, the Disability Grant is another signal that accessibility should be built into survivor programs from the beginning rather than treated as an add-on.
DOJ Office on Violence Against Women — current funding opportunities: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/funding-opportunities
