Recently we wrote a piece called “Divorce Purgatory—Cohabitating While Litigating” about how divorcing couples are often forced to remain together while their cases are litigated because of factors discouraging or preventing their separation. We identified as one cause of Divorce Purgatory the lengthy delays in determining custody disputes, in part due to the required forensic evaluations which often take over a year to complete. There is yet another new reason why couples will continue to languish in that state.

The Governor has now signed into law mandatory training for all forensic evaluators appointed by the courts in custody matters. (2022 Session Laws of New York Chapter 740 goes into effect on June 21, 2023.) The new law requires court-appointed forensic evaluators to undergo biennial training in a lengthy list of topics ostensibly related to domestic violence and child abuse. The new legislation won’t help shorten the stay Divorce Purgatory.