Reply To: Enforcement of gittin in civil court custody cases in New York

Custody caselaw and trends seems to cycle with respect to a pervasive focus on “whats best for the kids” and competing equities with respect to the parents’ lives. The issue of religious observance puts the judge in the position of deciding whether a parent’s mindset at the time of the divorce agreement should govern their daily lives and “hashkafah” for the next 10 or 15 years “for the sake of the kids”. Its one thing to require adherence to financial commitments but even those can be broken if circumstances change.