May 2025 - Issue 1

U.S. Military Families and Habitual Residence Under the Hague Abduction Convention | Read More

'Good to Go' (and to Return Home!) | Read More

Save the Date for the 2025 AAML Annual Meeting | Learn More

AAML Foundation Update: Greetings From Barbara Runge | Watch Video

Welcome to AAML's Newest Fellows

Cultures and Conversations Tomorrow | Register Now

Planned Website Maintenance

Showcase Your Expertise: Contribute to the AAML Newsletter | Pitch Your Article

AAML Virginia Chapter Announces Winners of Writing Competition and Virginia State Bar Association Family Law Service Award | Read More

By: Melissa Kucinski

A child’s habitual residence is one of the most fundamental legal concepts under the Hague Abduction Convention, yet the negotiators of the Convention left the term undefined. Until Feb. 25, 2020, different circuits within the United States applied different legal tests to determine a child’s habitual residence.

By: Mark Sullivan and Kris Hilscher

My client, Sergeant Jane Doe, is about to be deployed overseas. She has custody of her son, Johnny. Does she have to give custody over to the dad, her ex-husband?

Mark your calendars for an unforgettable experience at the 2025 AAML Annual Meeting! From Nov. 5-8, join family lawyers from all over the country in the vibrant city of Chicago for a unique blend of top-notch CLE sessions, delicious local cuisine, iconic sights and exciting social activities.

Keep an eye out for updates — registration will open this June.

In this month's AAML Foundation Update, 2025 Annual Campaign Honorary Co-chair Barbara Runge explains the impact of the Billable Hour Campaign. She shares a summary of grants awarded through the 2024 campaign, as well as how Fellows can become involved in 2025.

If you are unable to view the above video, please click here.

Welcome to AAML's Newest Fellows

Please join AAML in welcoming our newest Fellows from the first quarter:

Cultures and Conversations Tomorrow!

Join us tomorrow, May 14, for Cultures and Conversations: Rename, Remove, Revisit: Revisionist History and Why It Matters, where we will explore the evolving conversation around history, memory and identity. There has been a growing movement across the country and the globe to rename streets, remove statues and rebrand institutions and sports teams. Now, some communities are beginning to revisit those earlier choices, questioning whether removal was the right move or whether we should consider how to contextualize the past.

Please consider joining us at 6 p.m. Central time on Wednesday, May 14!

Planned Website Maintenance

The AAML website will be undergoing routine maintenance for the next few weeks. We appreciate your patience as we work on improving the website experience for all. 

Share your knowledge, elevate your profile and position yourself as a recognized expert in your field. The AAML Newsletter offers a valuable opportunity for Fellows to highlight best practices, offer fresh insights and reflect the forward-thinking work happening at their firm — all while contributing to the broader conversation shaping our profession.

Consider yourself a leader in one of the below practice areas? The Newsletter Committee invites you to submit an article on:

• Generative AI uses and ethics
• Vacations, summer travel and setting the summer schedule
• Boarding schools
• Or other family law related topics

If you're interested in submitting an article or would like more information, contact the AAML editorial team at editorial@aaml.org.

The Virginia Chapter of the AAML cosponsors a writing competition with the Virginia State Bar Family Law Section. The first-place winner this year was Michael Wahl. He is a 3L at Regent University School of Law. Wahl received his undergraduate degree from Wisconsin Lutheran College and will be clerking for Judge Robert Coleman of the Prince William County Circuit Court this coming year after graduation. Wahl’s entry was titled, “Cutting the Frayed Knot: Reducing the Separation-Without-Cohabitation Period for No-Fault Divorces with Mutual Consent in Virginia” and will be published in the summer issue of the Virginia Family Law Quarterly.

Visit the AAML Chapters page for the latest updates from local chapters.