Topic:
It Doesn’t Take Two to Tango: Survival Strategies for Abusive Co-Parenting
If you’ve been labeled “high conflict” while doing everything in your power to protect your child, I want you to hear this clearly - it does not always take two to tango.

In many custody cases labeled “high conflict”, the conflict is not mutual. One parent is trying to create stability, follow court orders, and shield their child from chaos. The other is escalating, provoking, filing motions, or performing cooperation while creating conflict behind the scenes. In other words, asymmetrical conflict.

In this powerful Lunch & Learn conversation, I’m joined by custody mediator and court advocate Al Huntoon to unpack what abusive co-parenting dynamics actually look like, and how protective parents can respond strategically instead of reactively.

Together, we’ll discuss:

• The difference between “high conflict” and one-sided conflict

• Patterns of litigation abuse and performative cooperation

• Why courts often mislabel protective parents

• The relational vs transactional “operating systems” at play

• How parallel parenting actually works

• Boundaries that protect your peace

• Emotional regulation strategies that strengthen your credibility and resilience

This session is designed specifically for protective parents navigating coercive control, custody stalking (aka litigation abuse), and ongoing post-separation abuse.

You will leave with language for what you’re experiencing and concrete tools to navigate it without losing yourself in the process.

Topic:
New Laws, New Leverage: How Recent Family Law Changes Affect Your Custody Case

Guest Speaker:
Ms. Dorothy Walsh Ripka, Esq.  | Partner, Brown Carrington, PLLC

Family law is changing—and those changes matter now for protective parents navigating custody and high-conflict divorce. In New Laws, New Leverage, we break down recent legislative updates that directly impact temporary protection orders, child support calculations, custody and decision-making outcomes, and the professionals courts rely on to evaluate families.

This Lunch & Learn will cover critical updates to domestic violence statutes—including the formal recognition of coercive control as domestic violence—and explain how these changes affect custody outcomes, parental decision-making, and your court strategy to protect your children from an unhealthy and abusive parent. We’ll also examine new definitions and guidelines for Child Legal Representatives, Parental Coordinators/Decision-Makers, and Child and Family Investigators, so you can make informed choices about whether—and when—to involve them in your case.

If you are a protective parent who needs to understand how the legal landscape is shifting and how to position your case accordingly, this session will give you clarity, and context, and leave you feeling more educated about pathways toward protecting your children and your peace.