NJ A5761

Establishes child safety and welfare as the paramount consideration in custody decisions, requiring courts to evaluate custody on a case-by-case basis and consider children's expressed preferences

Requires courts to consider children's history of domestic violence and child abuse, input from the child's licensed mental health professional, and parental fitness assessments from court-appointed professionals when making custody determinations

Prohibits courts from ordering therapy unless it has generally accepted scientific proof of safety and effectiveness; bans court-ordered reunification therapy programs without consent of both parties when a child resists contact with an estranged parent

Prohibits courts from presuming a child's reluctance to interact with a parent was caused by the other parent, and bars granting increased custody to an offending party when there is evidence of domestic violence or child abuse

Requires the Institute for Families at Rutgers School of Social Work to submit a report within three years on the law's impact on family reunification and custody resolution, with $500,000 appropriated to the Institute and $500,000 to the Administrative Office of the Courts