Demand an Independent Review of Judicial Practices That Leave Mothers Alienated, Bankrupted, and in Crisis.

 

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Women in Westchester County are suffering — and in some cases dying — during and after divorce and custody litigation. These tragedies are not isolated incidents. They reflect a deeper, systemic crisis within the Westchester family and matrimonial courts.

 

We are calling for an independent state-level investigation into practices that have repeatedly led to extreme psychological distress, medical deterioration, family separation, and, in several high-profile cases, death.

 

Documented Cases of Harm

 

Multiple public accounts have revealed deeply troubling patterns:

 • A New York mother, “Julia,” died by suicide after five years of what advocates described as “judicial alienation” from her son. Her case was handled in Justice Keri Fiore’s court, and her story was documented by the Women’s Coalition.

https://womenscoalition.substack.com/p/mom-commits-suicide-after-5-years

 • Catherine Kassenoff, a former federal prosecutor, died by assisted suicide abroad after years of contentious Westchester court litigation, in which she stated she was denied contact with her children.

 • Elizabeth “Lizzie” Harding Weinstein, a Westchester mother, was found deceased after years of legal conflict in which she alleged financial destabilization and loss of access to her children.

 

These are not isolated tragedies — they highlight a dangerous pattern linked to the structure, oversight, and conduct of Westchester’s family court system.

 

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Systemic Failures That Require Investigation

 

This petition calls for a comprehensive review of Westchester matrimonial courts with focus on:

 • Judicially enabled alienation and patterns in which parents become unnecessarily estranged from children

 • Disproportionate impacts on women in high-conflict cases

 • Excessive litigation delays that compound trauma

 • Financial power imbalances, where the monied spouse uses prolonged litigation as leverage

 • High attorney withdrawal rates, leaving non-monied spouses unrepresented

 • Documented mental health deterioration among litigants

 • Publicly reported concerns raised by advocacy organizations

 

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Our Demands

 

We urge the following authorities to act immediately:

 1. New York State Attorney General

Conduct a full investigation into outcomes, delays, and systemic patterns in Westchester’s family courts.

 2. New York State Unified Court System (OCA)

Appoint a special monitor for high-conflict cases, ensuring consistent oversight of judges, court-appointed professionals, and outcomes involving separation of parents from children.

 3. Chief Judge of the State of New York

Commission a public statewide report on suicides, attempted suicides, and medical crises connected to divorce and custody litigation over the past decade.

 4. New York Legislature

Enact structural reforms to prevent litigation abuse and guarantee legal representation for non-monied spouses.

 

Westchester County families deserve transparency, accountability, and protection — not a court system that compounds trauma or leaves vulnerable parents at risk.

 

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Why This Petition Matters

 

When mothers die during active divorce or custody disputes, the system demands immediate scrutiny. Westchester County has seen:

 • Years-long litigations without resolution

 • Sudden loss of custody without adequate findings

 • Harmful separations that escalate rather than deescalate conflict

 • Financial ruin due to uneven power dynamics

 • Documented mental health deterioration, sometimes leading to death

 

This petition is a call for state intervention, oversight, and reform. No more secrecy. No more unchecked judicial power. No more families shattered in silence.