Episode Details

Arizona's Alec and Lydia Act, signed June 22 2026, fundamentally changes how domestic violence is defined and handled in custody cases, expanding the definition to include coercive control and creating a mandatory presumption against awarding custody to a parent found to have committed domestic violence. Former Pima County Judge Doug Taylor of Taylor Law Group in Tucson explains the law's sweeping implications for families across Southern Arizona, including how it applies to existing custody orders. - The Alec and Lydia Act took effect immediately upon signing due to an emergency clause and was named for two children killed in 2024 despite documented domestic violence in their family's active court case. - For the first time, Arizona law formally recognizes coercive control as a form of domestic violence in custody proceedings, expanding far beyond the prior requirement of physical harm or its direct threat. - Courts must now treat a domestic violence finding as contrary to a child's best interests and prioritize safety over the longstanding default of equal 50/50 parenting time. - The law applies retroactively to modification proceedings, meaning families with existing custody orders may be affected if there is a history of domestic violence involved. Links: Taylor Law Group, PLLC Website: https://www.douglaswtaylor.com Taylor Law Group, PLLC Phone: 520-440-5635 Taylor Law Group, PLLC Address: 271 N. Stone Avenue, Suite 100, Tucson, AZ 85701 Keywords: Alec and Lydia Act, HB 2995, Arizona domestic violence custody law, coercive control Arizona, Arizona family law 2026, child custody domestic violence Arizona, Pima County family court, Doug Taylor attorney Tucson, Taylor Law Group Tucson, Arizona Revised Statutes 25-403.03, domestic violence presumption custody, Southern Arizona family law attorney, Katie Hobbs Arizona law, Tucson domestic violence lawyer, parenting time domestic violence Arizona