What ‘Safety First’ for Children Should Mean

The following was published in the New York Law Journal.  Click here to read the full text on ResearchGate.

As a policy matter, we must address and end the circumstances of parents who raise allegations of abuse of their child during the pendency of a divorce from being unjustly attacked as being the problem. To shield these parents from attack requires absolute adherence to child safety protocols before any custody actions are considered. In other words, investigations and hearings should be held on the sole issue of safety rather than permitting the merging of such allegations into a custody matter.