The Alec and Lydia Act: How a Mother Changed Arizona Custody Law After Family Court Failed Her
This conversation discusses domestic violence and the deaths of two children. Please take care of yourself as you watch, and pause whenever you need to.On June 22, 2026, Arizona's domestic violence custody law changed, and it changed because of a mother named Hope Hooton.In May 2024, Hope's children, Alec and Lydia, were killed by their father in Surprise, Arizona, during court-ordered unsupervised parenting time. Before that happened, Hope did everything protective parents are told to do. She hired an attorney. She spent hours sending evidence. She told the court about his suicidal and homicidal ideation, his history of domestic violence and coercive control, his nine-day psychiatric hospitalization, and the fact that he had called 911 on himself. The court still awarded him 50/50 unsupervised time.About two years later, Hope turned that unimaginable loss into House Bill 2995, the Alec and Lydia Act. Governor Katie Hobbs signed it with an emergency clause, which made it effective immediately.In this interview, Lisa sits down with Hope to walk through what the new law does, why each piece matters, and what parents everywhere (not just in Arizona) can take from it right now.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:✅ How the Act removed the vague "significant" domestic violence standard that left victims arguing over how much abuse was enough ✅ Why coercive control is now recognized as domestic violence in Arizona custody cases ✅ How the burden shifts: instead of the victim proving danger, the abusive parent must overcome a presumption ✅ What overcoming that presumption might realistically look like (one online certificate isn't it) ✅ Why written findings in temporary orders matter so much, and why Hope's case never reached final orders ✅ The medication-compliance order that put the burden on Hope, even though she had an order of protection ✅ Why best interest factors focus on behavior and its impact on parenting, not a diagnosis alone ✅ How to document a pattern of coercive control without burying the judge in 300 pages of text messages ✅ How advocates in other states can use HB 2995 as a legislative roadmap ✅ How laws like Kayden's Law and Om's Law, and even out-of-state case law, can strengthen a persuasive argument where you liveWHY THIS MATTERS BEYOND ARIZONA:Many of the parents we work with are told some version of "the court won't see it as abuse unless there's physical violence." Hope's case is the most devastating example of why that standard fails children. As Hope explains, her estranged husband was never physically violent toward the children until the day he killed them. Coercive control is a pattern, and patterns can be documented.Even if your state hasn't passed a law like this yet, the principles in this conversation can change how your case is presented: documenting patterns over time, tying your evidence to best interest factors, insisting on verifiable proof rather than an abuser's word, and asking for meaningful oversight of orders once they're made.This video is educational and is not legal advice. Laws vary by state and country, and the Alec and Lydia Act is brand new, so courts are still working out how it applies in practice. Please talk with a family law attorney who understands domestic violence about your specific situation.ABOUT HOPE HOOTON:Hope Hooton is the mother of Alec and Lydia, a child safety advocate, author, and host of the Voices Against Filicide podcast. She worked alongside attorneys, legislators, and other protective parents to create the Alec and Lydia Act (Arizona HB 2995), sponsored by Representative Lisa Fink and signed into law on June 22, 2026. Her memoir, There's Still Hope: A Journey of Adversity, Tragedy, and Unshakable Faith, is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle, and as an audiobook on Audible, narrated by Hope herself.📖 There's Still Hope (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1969338903 🎙️ Voices Against Filicide: available wherever you listen to podcastsABOUT BEEN THERE GOT OUT:Lisa Johnson and Chris Barry are high-conflict divorce, custody, and co-parenting strategists who help targets of abuse navigate family court, filling the critical gaps between what attorneys often aren't trained to do and what therapists don't fully understand. They've both been there, and they got out.🗓️ Book a free 30-minute discovery call: https://beentheregotout.com 📕 Our books: Been There Got Out and When Your Ex Turns the Kids Against You 💬 Instagram: @been_there_got_out 🌐 Blog: https://beentheregotout.com/blog#AlecAndLydiaAct #CoerciveControl #DomesticViolence #FamilyCourt #ChildCustody #ArizonaLaw #HighConflictDivorce #ChildSafety #DVAwarenessMonth
