Institute for Child Custody Advocacy
Judicial discretion begins after competent evidence, never before.
What is the connection between Family Courts and Domestic Abuse?
Most couples who end up in the Family Court System usually have at least one abusive party involved. It is a self-selecting process, because in most cases with two good people, an equitable settlement is made before ever entering the Family Court System.
Our Mission
Our mission is to create more equitable Family Court practices and procedures by championing legislative safeguards that defend the fundamental right to parent.
We believe that there should always be easy access to legal protections in cases which include safety concerns and abuse claims.
However, the Court’s willingness to sever the parent-child bond without strict scrutiny standards should be the exception and not the rule.
Our purpose is to create parental protections around people while they rebuild their professional and personal lives. The Institute is self-funded, so its positions answer to no one but the evidence.
The Solution
2022: Review and initial safeguards. Louisiana’s SR 186 and HR 228 requested a review of mental health evaluations in custody proceedings. HB 272 became Act 614 on June 18, 2022.
2024: Evaluation protections in law. Act 552, effective August 1, 2024, strengthened rules for evaluator qualifications, reports, discovery, expert evidence, and opportunities for parents who cannot pay to contest an evaluation.
2026: Equal physical custody. Act 605, effective August 1, 2026, requires equal sharing of physical custody in joint custody arrangements unless the court determines that it is not feasible or not in the child’s best interest.
2026: Task force. HR 360 created the Task Force on Child Well-Being, Parental Bonds, and Family Court Fairness; its report and legislative proposals are due February 15, 2027.
Enforcement remains a separate question. A law’s protections matter only when they are applied. The Institute advocates for accountability and effective access to those protections.
The 2027 agenda. The Institute seeks evidence before separation, a defined path back to contact, and a meaningful opportunity to challenge expert evidence regardless of means. These are the next legislative priorities, distinct from protections already enacted.
Understand current protections in our Act 552 guide for parents.
Get Reform Updates and follow the work toward the 2027 Regular Session.
Bridget Neal, Founder
Bridget Neal is a Louisiana native, former candidate for New Orleans City Council District A, and advocate for family court reform. She held several positions at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., before spending ten years as a stay-at-home mother, a "trad wife" in today's terminology.
Following her divorce, Neal returned to professional work at NASA's Stennis Space Center, followed by contract work with the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Department of State. She also ran for New Orleans City Council District A and currently works as a federal contractor. Her professional experience includes serving as Executive Director of Team Metric and working with international scientific and military organizations. Neal has passed federal security clearance vetting and stood for the public scrutiny of a campaign for public office.
Neal earned her bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University in 1999 and a Master of Arts in Civic and Cultural Management from Tulane University in 2001.
As founder of the Institute for Child Custody Advocacy, Neal has worked to advance family court accountability and legislative reform. Her advocacy helped lay the groundwork for Louisiana's Act 552 of 2024, introduced as House Bill 236 and drafted by the Louisiana State Law Institute. Effective August 1, 2024, the law reinforces existing evidentiary standards, establishes child custody evaluator qualifications, and tries to dispel the collegial mindset among the limited number of people willing to work with the current Family Court construct.
A law is only as good as its enforcement inside the courtroom. Neal continues to advocate for consistent enforcement of Act 552’s protections, reduced reliance on custody evaluators, stronger safeguards against opinions based on hearsay about disputed facts, an end to treating unsworn, unsubstantiated statements supplied by a party’s attorney as evidence, and a defined, reviewable standard for any condition a court places on parent-child contact.
JOIN THE FIGHT
Get updates on Louisiana family court reform, proposed legislation, and ways to take action.
