HB652 Abolishing the family division, creating the office of family mediation, and reassigning the jurisdiction of the family division.
Abolishing the family division, creating the office of family mediation, and reassigning the jurisdiction of the family division.
Impact Score — How Does This Bill Affect You?
Overall Impact Score
Harmful
Scale: 1 (harmful) to 10 (beneficial)
Your Wallet
Eliminating an entire court division creates uncertainty and potential costs for families mid-case; mediation may not be appropriate for all situations.
Your Community
Abolishing family courts could leave domestic violence victims, children in custody disputes, and divorcing families without adequate judicial protections.
Your Freedom
Forcing mediation instead of court proceedings could deny due process to vulnerable family members, especially domestic violence survivors.
Status
Lay HB652 on Table (Rep. DeSimone): Motion Adopted DV 268-66 02/19/2026 House Journal 5 P. 113
Sponsor
JD Bernardy (R)
The Short Version
Would have abolished the Family Division of the courts and replaced it with a mediation office. This radical restructuring of family law courts could affect divorce, custody, and domestic violence proceedings for thousands of NH families.
Who's Behind This Bill?
Who Benefits
- ▲ Those who believe family courts are biased or inefficient
Who Pays the Price
- ▼ Domestic violence survivors who need court protection
- ▼ Children in custody disputes
- ▼ Families mid-case
Bill statuses as of May 2026. Check LegiScan or NH General Court for the latest.
This bill was auto-scored using AI analysis of the bill text and legislative data. Scores may be refined as we review more bills.