BarbriSFCourseDetails
  • videocam Live Webinar with Live Q&A
  • calendar_month February 18, 2026 @ 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT
  • signal_cellular_alt Intermediate
  • card_travel Family Law
  • schedule 90 minutes

Domestic Violence in Family Court: Screening for Safety, Advocacy, and Motion Practice

$197.00

This course is $0 with these passes:

CLE
ALL
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About the Course

Introduction

This CLE webinar will examine divorce and custody matters where domestic violence (DV) is present or alleged, including cases involving coercive control, post-separation abuse, and high-conflict litigation.

Description

Contentious family law cases may present with dynamics that obscure patterns of power, control, and risk. Recognizing and proactively addressing these situations is critical. The panel will discuss screening and client interviewing, safety planning, and building an evidence record that is persuasive without re‑traumatizing clients or children.

The panel will examine motion practice and emergency relief, custody/parenting-time strategy, evidentiary and proof issues, and working effectively with experts such as custody evaluators, forensic psychologists, and financial professionals to address economic abuse. 

Listen as our panel provides detailed guidance for navigating DV-impacted family cases.

Presented By

Stacey A. Cozewith, Esq.
Member and Chair, Family Law Practice Group
Saiber LLC

Stacey A. Cozewith is a Member and Chair of the Firm’s Family Law practice group. As a seasoned family law attorney, Stacey has over 20 years of experience representing individuals in a full spectrum of family law matters, including, but not limited to, divorce proceedings, prenuptial agreements, cohabitation issues, relocation, domestic violence, civil union dissolution, college contribution, alimony negotiations, child support and custody arrangements, and equitable distribution.

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Angelica M. Mercado, Esq.
Founding Partner
Snyder Kenney & Mercado, LLC

Ms. Mercado, Esq. is a Founding Partner of Snyder Kenney & Mercado LLC, representing clients in all aspects of family law, including complex and high-conflict matrimonial, non-dissolution, and domestic violence matters. She is a fluent Spanish speaker, providing legal representation to both English and Spanish-speaking clients throughout the State of New Jersey. Ms. Mercado is actively involved in professional and community organizations, including the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, Hispanic National Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association, Morris County Bar Association, and Essex County Bar Association. She currently serves as a Trustee-at-Large for the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, a Board Member of the Association for Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA NJ), and a Trustee for the Morris County Bar Foundation. Ms. Mercado is a frequent speaker and lecturer on topics in family law, presenting for organizations such as Lawline, Justia, Practising Law Institute, Quimbee, NJICLE, Essex County Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, Hispanic National Bar Association, ALPFA NJ, American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), and myLawCLE. 

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Elisa A. Reiter, Esq.
Senior Attorney
Calabrese Budner LLP

Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Family Law and Child Welfare Law, Ms. Reiter offers clients the depth and breadth of experience few attorneys can match. Known as a “powerhouse in the courthouse,” she has decades of experience protecting clients’ interests in complex family law litigation. Both scholarly and popular publications regularly call on Ms. Reiter to share her knowledge with readers—her vast list of publications includes articles in Texas Lawyer, New York Law Journal, Daily Business Review, The Imprint, The Recorder, and National Law Journal.

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Credit Information

  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.


  • Live Online


    On Demand

Date + Time

  • event

    Wednesday, February 18, 2026

  • schedule

    1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT

I. Background on DV in family cases: power and control dynamics, coercive control, post-separation abuse

II. Intake, screening, and trauma‑informed client interviewing

III. Emergency relief and protective orders

IV. Custody and parenting‑time strategy when DV is alleged or proven

V. Motion practice and trial: proof, evidence, and courtroom tactics

VI. Working with experts (and opposing experts)

VII. DV‑informed mediation, SMCs, and settlement conferences

VIII. Practitioner takeaways

The panel will discuss these and other key issues:

  • Identifying coercive control and other non-physical abuse dynamics that change case strategy
  • Using screening questions and trauma‑informed interviewing to build trust and preserve admissible detail
  • Crafting emergency motions and targeted relief (custody, exchanges, no‑contact, firearms, finances)
  • Selecting and managing experts (custody evaluators, forensic clinicians, financial experts)
  • Drafting parenting plans that incorporate safety, accountability, and child‑focused structure (supervision, exchanges, communication)