RISK / REVIEW MATRIX
This matrix turns broad policy goals into reviewable sections, objections, process concerns, and concrete feedback requests.
How to use this matrix
For each row, reviewers should identify language that is too broad, too weak, unsafe, unclear, expensive, unenforceable, or vulnerable to misuse. Then propose a narrower, safer, more workable alternative.
| Section | Policy goal | Possible objection | Legal/process concern | Requested feedback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Definitions | Make core terms usable in practice. | Terms may be overbroad, vague, or weaponized. | Need fair notice, safe exceptions, and neutral application. | Suggest exact definitions and limiting language. |
| Timelines | Reduce harmful delay when child stability is at stake. | Rigid deadlines may strain courts or miss safety facts. | Need emergency exceptions, good-cause standards, and capacity planning. | Identify workable timelines and proof thresholds. |
| Safety screening | Separate unsafe contact from unjustified obstruction or confusion. | Bad screening can either ignore abuse or wrongly block repair. | Need trauma-informed review and good-faith safety protections. | Propose screening criteria and review triggers. |
| Child voice | Respect children without making them carry adult conflict. | Children may be pressured, coached, ignored, or overburdened. | Need developmentally appropriate protections. | Suggest safeguards for interviews, records, and confidentiality. |
| Neutral fact-finding | Improve reliability of information before orders change life patterns. | Neutral roles can become too expensive, too powerful, or unchecked. | Need scope limits, qualifications, review, and fee transparency. | Name oversight tools and conflict checks. |
| Remedies | Provide staged repair when safe and appropriate. | One-size remedies can cause harm. | Need proportionality, safety findings, and measurable goals. | Suggest staged remedies and stop conditions. |
| Public metrics | Expose delay and system bottlenecks. | Metrics may reveal private data or drive bad incentives. | Need aggregation, privacy, and context. | Suggest safe public measures. |
| Implementation | Move from ideals to daily operations. | Unfunded mandates or vague duties may fail. | Need costs, owners, forms, training, and reporting cadence. | Identify agency/court workload and rollout needs. |
Focus on due process, separation of powers, standards of proof, appealability, judicial discretion, and fair notice.
Review laneFocus on abuse, coercive control, trauma, good-faith reports, child protection, and unsafe repair pressure.
Review lane