Canadian lawyer Brian Ludmer, founder and principal attorney of the Toronto-based firm Ludmer Law,recently presented at the Men and Families 2025 Conference in Barbados, held between September 19th and 20th, 2025. Ludmer’s presentation, which was titled Examining How Requests for Shared Parenting Are Adjudicated: The Interplay of Law, Science and Legislative Reform, drew on his more than three decades of experience in high-conflict custody cases, parental alienation disputes, and legal matters concerning complex family law.
During the information session, Ludmer explored inconsistency and unpredictability in the application of family law, with particular focus on the maximum contact principle in Canadian legislation. He highlighted challenges stemming from differences in provincial application, as well as judges’ personal biases and the often circular logic courts use when determining “best interests” in custody disputes
One of the major themes of Ludmer’s presentation was the introduction of scientific research into family law adjudications. He discussed how courts can qualify expert evidence, whether it be memory science, parental alienation, or shared parenting research. He also illustrated the impact of evidence-based approaches through case studies on false memory allegations, parental alienation, and formalized shared parenting science, explaining how expert testimony and peer-reviewed research can guide courts toward more informed and child-focused decisions.
Additionally, Brian Ludmer addressed the current landscape of shared parenting litigation across Canada, select U.S. states, and the United Kingdom. He emphasized that, despite increasing recognition of the benefits of equal shared parenting, legal unpredictability remains a significant barrier in these jurisdictions.
Notably, he also highlighted a potential breakthrough in family law in his home province of Ontario, where his advocacy in a 2024 case led the Court to recognize that shared parenting should now be considered the norm, absent evidence demonstrating that it would not serve the child’s best interests.
In addition to running practice and representing his client, Brian Ludmer is a co-author of The High-Conflict Custody Battle and a co-founder of Lawyers for Shared Parenting, an international advocacy group. He has also made substantial contributions to legislative reform in Canada, including helping to draft Bill C-560, which endeavoured to establish a nationwide presumption of equal shared parenting.
The Men and Families 2025 Conference in Barbados provided attendees, which included legal professionals, therapists, and advocates, with practical guidance on how best to navigate complex custody disputes, introducing scientific evidence into court cases, and promoting child-centered outcomes, among other important subjects.
A full slideshow of Ludmer’s presentation can be found here: