8:00 AM - 8:50 AM | BREAKFAST & REGISTRATION
8:50 AM - 9:00 AM | OPENING REMARKS
AFCC New York Chapter Co-Presidents Jenifer Foley, JD & Bettina Thomsen, LCSW
9:00 AM to 10:30 AM | NEW WAYS TO CONSIDER NEURODIVERSITY IN CUSTODY CASES
MAUREEN DUNNE, PH.D.
Dr. Maureen Dunne is a celebrated cognitive scientist, neurodiversity expert, global keynote speaker and leader who has served as a senior adviser and lead trainer to some of the world’s top brands, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, philanthropic foundations, school districts, venture capital funds and government officials.
She is the author of the National Bestseller, The Neurodiversity Edge: The Essential Guide to Embracing Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Differences for Any Organization.
The Neurodiversity Edge made several bestseller lists, including USA Today's National Bestselling Booklist, B&N Top 100, and Porchlight Book Company's Bestselling Business Book list. The book has also garnered global recognition and award-winning acclaim, including being named to the Top 5 Books for the getAbstract International Book Award for Business Impact, a Top Books to Read by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for their summer reading list, and the Winner of the Goody Business Book Award for Business - Big Ideas.
She is the first community college graduate to be named a Rhodes Scholar, where she earned her doctorate from the University of Oxford. She is the former President of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) and in 2024 was honored by the Golden Apple Foundation with it’s Impact Award.
10:30 AM to 10:45 AM | BREAK
10:45 AM to 12:15 PM | PANEL DISCUSSION
Moderated by Sophie Jacobi-Parisi, Esq., Blank Rome, LLP
- Maureen Dunne, Ph.D.
- Hon. Jeffrey Pearlman - Supreme Court, New York County
- Lisa Courtney, Esq. - Director, Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution, NY State Unified Court System
- Michelle Roberts, Esq. -
- Sara Weiss, Ed.D. - Director at Heartland Psychological Services PC
12:15 PM TO 12:30 pm | ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AFCC NEW YORK CHAPTER
12:30 PM TO 2:00 PM | LUNCH PROVIDED
2:00 PM TO 3:00 PM | NEW YORK CUSTODY CASELAW UPDATE
Adam John Wolff, Esq. and Bettina Thomsen, LCSW
Adam Wolff will review and discuss New York custody case law over the past year, ranging from cases involving relocation, court-mandated therapy, parent-child contact problems, the impact of parenting schedules on child support, penalties for false claims of abuse, and other related issues.
Bettina Thomsen will discuss how recent case law relates to factors in relocation cases, parent-child contact problems, intimate partner violence, and therapeutic recommendations to the Court. She will specifically discuss how these factors should guide and shape mental health providers' evaluations.
3:00 PM TO 3:15 PM | BREAK
3:15 PM TO 4:15 PM | PRACTICAL TOOLKIT FOR REDUCING AND ANALYZING FIREARMS RISK IN CUSTODY CASES
This session will examine the risks associated with firearms in cases of child custody. Attorneys, mental
health professionals and court officials hold unique positions of influence and responsibility during divorce
proceedings; events which often bring heightened tensions and exposure of children to increased risk when
firearms are present in the household. The panel will discuss Pierce’s Pledge and how it may impact the rise in gun violence in these cases.
Moderated by Adam John Wolff, Esq. Alter Wolff Foley and Stutman, LLP
- Hon. Victor Grossman, JSC - Supervising Judge, Matrimonial Matters, NY State Unified Court System
- Lorie Nachlis, Esq.
- Monica Mazzei, Esq.
- Robyn Landow, Ph.D. - Psychologist in Private Practice, New York