Family Reunification Treatment Prohibited Conditions Statute

In 2024, Arizona enacted A.R.S. § 25-418, which, absent parental agreement, places limits on the types of family reunification treatment a court can order. Under the statute, the Court cannot order family reunification treatment that requires a no-contact order with the aligned parent (i.e., the parent with whom the child has the stronger bond),requires the child to travel out-of-state, requires the child to stay overnight or multiple days (presumably at the treatment facility), requires transfer of “physical or legal custody of the child,” or requires the child to be transported by force by a private entity, or uses the threats of physical force, undue coercion, verbal abuse, or isolation. It does not ban family reunification therapy that happens in Arizona through regular counseling sessions and does not require overnight stays and is free of threats and coercion. In other words, it appears the bill bans extreme forms of family reunification therapy while permitting commonly used, less disruptive forms.