I'm writing this petition out of personal and painful experience. My fiancé has been tangled in a heartbreaking custody dispute with the father of her children since 2020. During this time, he was granted full legal custody in 2021, a decision that we believe failed to properly take the well-being of the children into account. The presiding judge who issued this order name is Nancy Maggitti-Purpura.

We are sure the judge believed, at the moment, her decision was made in the best interest of the children. If the mandate for an annual reconsideration was in place, Judge Nancy Maggitti-Purpura would've been afforded the opportunity to modify the decision due to the following changes that transpired a year after the decision:

The father hasn't held a job since 2019, and in 2022, he was evicted from his home. In an emotionally charged exchange, he confessed via text that he was unfit to maintain physical legal custody, which led to the children being entrusted to their mother’s care. However, instead of working on improving his situation and providing a stable home environment, he has been attempting to forcibly obtain custody through protection orders.

This has thrown us deep into the flawed child custody decision-making system, awakening us to the need for change. It clearly demonstrates why custody decisions should come with a mandatory annual reconsideration, as well as safety measures to protect children from being caught in a tug-of-war between parents not able to provide a lifestyle best suited for them.

According to uscourts.gov, approximately one-third of all custody decisions are made without any professional involvement. This leaves plenty of room for misjudgments concerning the best interests of the child. Furthermore, Child Welfare Information Gateway indicates that around 15% of custody cases experience some form of modification, suggesting the necessity of an official reconsideration process to ensure that children's wellbeing is always the top priority.

Let's push for a system that requires annual reviews of child custody decisions to make sure children are always placed in a home suited to their best interests, and incorporate safety measures to shield them from parental tactics driven by personal hardships rather than the children's welfare. Please lend your voice by signing and sharing this petition.