Fathers’ Rights News Roundup: At Least 7 States Now Presume 50/50 Custody. Is Yours Next?

Updated October 6, 2026 · News and general information, not legal advice.

For divorced fathers, this fall brought something rare: momentum. This month’s fathers’ rights news roundup covers a new equal-custody law in Louisiana, a long-stalled 50/50 bill that finally got a Judiciary hearing in Pennsylvania, child support rewrites in Illinois and Connecticut, and two state supreme court rulings fathers should know about: one letting a biological father pursue his own paternity case in Arizona, and one upholding a Maine father’s decision-making authority.

Here is what changed over the summer and early fall of 2026, what it means for your family, and where to read the primary sources yourself.

Key takeaways

• At least seven states now presume equal (50/50) parenting time, according to a September 16 Stateline analysis. Louisiana’s law took effect August 1.
• Pennsylvania‘s House Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on HB 1499, the state’s 50/50 custody bill, on October 5. No committee vote has been announced.
• Illinois will give parents with 110 to 145 overnights a year a shared-care adjustment in child support starting January 1, 2027.
• Arizona’s Supreme Court let a biological father pursue paternity despite another man’s acknowledgment. Maine’s upheld a father’s final say on church involvement and medical care.
• New York’s Kyra’s Law is still waiting on the governor. It would change how courts handle alienation claims.

Equal parenting laws: at least seven states now start at 50/50

Louisiana’s key change: “should” becomes “shall”

Louisiana’s custody statute used to say physical custody should be shared equally. Since August 1, 2026, it says shall, unless the court finds equal sharing isn’t feasible or isn’t in the child’s best interest. Supporters say the change makes equal time the default. The law does not spell out which parent bears the burden of proof, and courts have yet to apply it.

The bill, HB 1239 (Act 605 of 2026), passed the House 101-0 and the Senate 36-0. It became law without Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature.

Which states presume 50/50 custody?

A September 16 Stateline analysis counts at least seven states with an equal-parenting presumption:

• Kentucky
• Arkansas
• West Virginia
• Florida
• Missouri
• Louisiana (2026)
• Mississippi (2026). HB 1662 was signed April 8 and took effect July 1.

Not every push succeeded. Stateline reports that Oklahoma’s HB 1082 died in the state Senate. Critics, including domestic violence advocates, warn that presumptions can force children to spend time with an unsafe parent. Some Mississippi judges argued that case-by-case decisions were fairer. Expect that debate in every state that takes up a bill next session.

For the bigger picture, read our explainer on the national push for equal parenting and family court reform.

For every state’s starting rule, statute and pending bills, see our shared parenting laws by state tracker.

Pennsylvania holds its first Judiciary hearing on 50/50 custody

Pennsylvania’s HB 1499, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Flick, would presume shared legal and physical custody with equal parenting time. The presumption could be overcome by clear and convincing evidence, by the parents’ agreement, or when a parent does not seek equal time. Flick’s office describes the goal as equal access to both parents when they are “willing, fit and able.”

The bill has 78 co-sponsors from both parties. It has been in the House Judiciary Committee without action since May 2025. The House Republican Policy Committee held a hearing on it in November 2025. On October 5, 2026, the Judiciary Committee held the bill’s first public hearing, alongside a press conference and a panel for parents. According to Rep. Flick’s office, the hearing ran more than two hours. Seven of the eight panelists brought in to oppose the bill raised objections, focusing on domestic violence, a 50/50 presumption at the start of custody cases, and whether the bill accounts for Act 11 of 2025. No committee vote has been announced.

Child support changes divorced fathers should know

Illinois: shared-care credit starts at 110 overnights

Illinois rewrote its child support rules in SB 3524, now Public Act 104-0733. It passed 55-0 in the Senate and 105-0 in the House. The changes take effect January 1, 2027:

• More parents get shared-care credit. The shared-care calculation used to start at 146 overnights a year. Parents with 110 to 145 overnights will get a graduated adjustment. Significant daytime parenting time can count as “overnight equivalents” if a court or the parents’ agreement allows it.
• Incarcerated parents get relief. A parent incarcerated more than 180 consecutive days is presumed unable to pay. The presumption can be rebutted, and there is a streamlined way to reduce the order to $0.
• More low-income parents qualify for minimum orders. The income cutoff for the $40-per-child minimum order rises from 75% to 100% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Connecticut: new guidelines took effect August 1

Connecticut’s updated Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines now cover combined net income up to $6,000 a week, up from $4,000. They also add a worksheet for families with more than two legal parents, with judicial discretion in shared and split custody cases involving more than two parents.

Federal: proposal to end job-services funding for noncustodial parents

The Administration for Children and Families has proposed repealing a December 2024 rule. That rule let state child support agencies use federal matching funds for job and training services for noncustodial parents. Most noncustodial parents are fathers: Census Bureau data show about four in five custodial parents are mothers.

The agency points to rising costs: the 2024 rule projected federal costs would reach $98.5 million a year by fiscal 2034. It also cites weak evidence that the services increased payments, and overlap with existing federal workforce programs. The comment period closed August 10. There is no final rule yet. A separate June 18 proposal would remove 29 sections of federal child support regulations that the agency calls unnecessary or obsolete.

For background on how federal policy reaches your paycheck, see Child Support and Federal Policy: What Divorced Fathers Need to Know in 2026.

In the courts: two rulings fathers should know about

Arizona: a biological father can bring his own paternity case

On September 14, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in Strang v. Malay/Hernandez that another man’s signed acknowledgment of paternity does not shut out the biological father. The acknowledgment’s deadlines bind only the people who signed it.

If genetic testing gives the biological father a competing presumption of paternity, the trial court must weigh both presumptions. The case went back to the trial court. The ruling did not decide paternity, custody or support.

Maine: a father’s final say on church involvement stands

On September 1, Maine’s highest court unanimously upheld a modified order in Bickford v. Bradeen, 2026 ME 94. The order gives the father final decision-making over his daughter’s involvement with one particular church, over other religious activities if the parents disagree, and over major medical decisions.

The trial court had found that the child was harmed by negative messages about her father. The mother’s lawyers have said they will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case.

Watch list: laws that could reshape custody fights

• New York, Kyra’s Law (S5998C): Passed both chambers in June but has not yet been sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul. When a party raises facially credible abuse allegations, courts would have to hold an evidentiary hearing within 20 court days to decide whether temporary limits on custody or visitation are needed. They could not presume that a child’s reluctance to see a parent was caused by the other parent, or award custody just to repair a parent-child relationship. Judges would get training every two years. If you are dealing with alienation, this matters. Read our guide on how to fight parental alienation.
• Maryland, temporary protective orders (HB 497): Since October 1, a temporary protective order can last up to 14 days instead of 7 before the final hearing. That doubles the standard length of a temporary order. Judges can still extend one for up to six months to complete service or for other good cause.
• Alabama: Despite claims online, Alabama law has no equal-parenting presumption. The “Good Dad Act” (HB 18), which would have created joint-custody presumptions for unmarried fathers who signed acknowledgments of paternity, died in committee in 2026.

Nevada watch

We found no new Nevada custody or child support law that took effect in this period. The Legislature next meets in February 2027. Seven Clark County Family Court races are contested on the November 3 ballot: Departments D, E, N, P, R, S and Z.

Nevada already limits court-ordered reunification treatment under SB 275, in effect since July 1, 2025. Catch up on what SB 432 changed about divorce records and fathers’ legal rights under Nevada law.

What this means for divorced fathers

1. Know your state’s starting point. In presumption states, a parent seeking less than equal time generally must present evidence to overcome the presumption, and exceptions such as domestic violence apply. Elsewhere, judges weigh best-interest factors without a 50/50 starting point. A family law attorney in your state can explain how this applies to you.
2. Document everything. Courts decide on evidence. Use our step-by-step guide to documenting custody violations.
3. Revisit support when parenting time changes. More overnights can lower your obligation, as the Illinois changes show. Learn when you can modify a custody order.
4. Make your voice count. Constituent pressure can help bills like Pennsylvania’s get a vote. Call your state representative, and share your story with us.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Louisiana Legislature, HB 1239 (2026 Regular Session)
• Stateline, “More states embrace 50-50 child custody in divorce cases” (Sept. 16, 2026)
• Office of Rep. Jamie Flick, HB 1499 hearing announcement; Williamsport Sun-Gazette, hearing preview; hearing recap (Oct. 5, 2026)
• LegiScan, Illinois SB 3524
• Connecticut eRegulations, Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines
• Federal Register, Employment and Training Services for Noncustodial Parents in the Child Support Program; Rescission and Reducing Bureaucracy and Burden for Child Support Enforcement Programs
• U.S. Census Bureau, Custodial Mothers and Fathers and Their Child Support: 2015 (P60-262)
• Arizona Supreme Court, Strang v. Malay/Hernandez, No. CV-25-0233-SA (via Justia)
• Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Bickford v. Bradeen, 2026 ME 94; WABI, coverage
• New York State Senate, S5998C (Kyra’s Law)
• Maryland General Assembly, HB 497 (2026)
• Clark County, Notice of 2026 General Election
• LegiScan, Alabama HB 18 (2026) and Nevada SB 275 (2025)

Equal Rights for Divorced Fathers is a news and advocacy publication. This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different, so talk to a licensed family law attorney in your state about your situation. Found an error? See our corrections policy.

Clarification, Oct. 6, 2026: We updated our description of Pennsylvania’s HB 1499 to match the bill text. An earlier version used the sponsor’s “willing, able and fit” framing as if it were the bill’s legal standard.