Establishes rebuttable presumption against granting child custody under certain circumstances; expands best interests factors; adds coercive control to domestic violence definition.

This bill establishes a rebuttable presumption against granting child custody to a parent if there is clear evidence of domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual contact, or endangering a child by that parent, regardless of whether a court case is pending. It expands the factors courts must consider in custody cases to include the child's emotional and physical safety, whether the child fears for their safety, and whether a parent has an improper motive for seeking custody. The bill adds "coercive control" to the definition of domestic violence, defining it as patterns of threatening, humiliating, or intimidating actions meant to make a person dependent through isolation, financial control, monitoring, or other tactics. This directly affects parents accused of domestic violence or related offenses and children in custody cases across New Jersey courts. The bill does not change the requirement that courts prioritize the best interests of the child in custody decisions.