Journal of Divorce & Remarriage

With the ending of another U.S. Supreme Court term, families in the United States are once again presented with an evolving legal context to negotiate. The decisions made in this term are just the most recent of a series of recent rulings that are likely to alter (and, in many cases, already have fundamentally altered) the experiences of families in the U.S. In recent years, there have also been rulings in other countries, states, and locales that have outlawed, discouraged, or targeted diverse arrays of family structures and models. In contrast, there have also been rulings that have supported, provided protections for, or otherwise allowed expanded diversity in families.

It seems an appropriate time for our journal, as we move toward our new vision of Family Transitions, to announce a call for papers on the topic of Families Navigating Evolving Legal Contexts. We are open to a variety of submissions, including original empirical studies, meta-analyses, scoping or systematic reviews, and applied reports. We are interested in manuscripts that help to illuminate our current understanding of the impacts of any legal/policy changes that directly or indirectly impact families, or otherwise advance our understanding of these evolving legal issues. We welcome submissions on federal, state, or local policies in the U.S., but are also interested in international submissions that explore the nuances of existing policies and laws within countries outside of the U.S. Manuscripts of interest include but are not limited to the following topics:

• Research on evolving shared parenting legislation, including how families or family courts navigate changing expectations
• Policy decisions and experiences of migrant families; experiences of families with immigration or emigration
• Multinational families or transnational families navigating changing policies or legal requirements
• How COVID-19 related policies or governmental responses have intersected with or otherwise impacted family transitions
• Studies that explore how LGBTQ+ families are affected by legislation or policy that has criminalized gender affirming care or other anti-transgender legislation
• Health-related research on the impacts of changing abortion laws/changing abortion access across diverse family contexts

We encourage interdisciplinary collaborations and submissions from multiple perspectives, where appropriate (e.g., researchers, lawyers or court officials, therapists).

To have an article considered for this special issue, please submit your manuscript through our Editorial Manuscript submission portal, which can be accessed here: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/wjdr20. Please ensure to choose the appropriate Special Issue title on the drop down menu during the submission process.

In the cover letter, please indicate that you would like your manuscript to be considered for the special issue “Families Navigating Evolving Legal Contexts.” Manuscripts must be submitted by April 1, 2024 to receive full consideration for the special issue.

We look forward to your submissions. If you have further questions, please contact either Dr. Anthony Ferraro ([email protected]) or Dr. Mark Fine ([email protected]), or both.

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article