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Abstract: 

This article addresses the urgent concern for domestic violence survivors and their children during the challenging context of the pandemic, with an eye to the future when family courts will be open once again. We discuss how victim-parents who are separated from their abusers are missing from the national narrative about the increased risks to victims during the pandemic. We highlight survey responses from 45 attorneys, DV advocates, mediators, visitation supervisors, and therapists from around the country about their experiences with victim-parents. During the pandemic, many COVID emergency court guidelines and recommendations about child custody and visitation fail to differentiate between DV-cases and non-DV cases. Now more than ever, recognition of the dangers posed by DV is essential. Co-parenting recommendations and rules designed for former relationships must incorporate DV and safety considerations.

Keywords: : DV Parenting Without Court Access; Coercive Confusion of COVID; Prohibited Contact

Affiliations:  1: UC Berkeley School of Law; 2: UC Davis School of Law.