Report from Court: Expanding Family Court Transparency

Her Justice is a nonprofit organization providing legal aid to women living in poverty, assisting them with family law matters. We worked to identify target states for the potential expansion of their Report From Court initiative to improve access to justice and court transparency. Her Justice focuses on custody proceedings, child support establishment and enforcement, and fines and fees for violating court-mandated family plans, while excluding matters of domestic violence, child abuse, and neglect. We employed a mixed-methods qualitative research methodology to identify other states' best practices and assess whether policies, court structures, and public opinion are similar to those in New York. We conducted interviews with legal aid organizations in target jurisdictions to better understand their operational processes, case loads, and experiences navigating family court. Lastly, we observed live custody proceedings in New York City Family Court, gaining valuable insight into courtroom procedures, litigant experiences, and barriers within the court system. After extensive policy research in various states, we recommend Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, Michigan, California, and Washington as target jurisdictions of expansion.