Requires court to consider additional factors in awarding custody of child.

This New Jersey bill (A498) amends custody law to require courts to consider two additional factors when determining child custody: (1) any history of abuse, abandonment, or neglect, and (2) evidence of a pattern of abusive, threatening, intimidating, or controlling behavior by either parent over time. It directly affects parents and children involved in custody disputes by expanding the factors courts must weigh. The bill clarifies that a parent isn't deemed unfit unless their conduct substantially harms the child. The key change is adding these specific safety-related considerations to the existing list of custody factors.