The Rising Beyond Podcast
If you're trying to protect your children while navigating an abusive ex, this podcast is for you. Because leaving the relationship didn't end the abuse, and no one prepared you for what came next.
The Rising Beyond Podcast is for protective mothers navigating the overwhelming reality of sharing children with someone who continues patterns of manipulation, coercive control, or emotional abuse after separation. Join Sybil Cummin, licensed professional counselor, who has spent the last decade helping survivors and their children navigate this incredibly difficult chapter. Every week, we share trauma-informed education, nervous system insights, protective parenting strategies, and honest conversations about family court, post-separation abuse, and healing, so you can feel more confident, more grounded, and better equipped to protect both your children and yourself.
Whether you're in the middle of family court, struggling with parenting alongside someone who continues patterns of control, or simply trying to become the parent you want to be after everything you've survived, you'll find validation, practical guidance, and hope here.
The Rising Beyond Podcast
Ep 213: What Colorado's New Family Court Bill Actually Means for Survivors
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Colorado recently signed HB26-1309 into law, and many survivors and protective parents are asking what it actually means for families navigating family court.
I break down what I am learning about HB26-1309, a bill focused on domestic violence, coercive control, and child safety in Colorado family courts.
While some headlines make it sound like family court has been completely transformed overnight, the reality is more nuanced. Many of the protections addressed in this bill already existed in Colorado law. What HB26-1309 primarily does is clarify, reorganize, and strengthen how courts are expected to analyze evidence of domestic violence and coercive control.
We discuss:
- What changes were actually made to Colorado law
- Why requiring courts to make findings on the record may matter
- How coercive control is addressed within the statute
- What attorneys are saying about how they may use these changes in practice
- Potential benefits for survivors and protective parents
- Remaining concerns about implementation and court culture
I also share insights from attorneys who were closely involved with the bill and discuss how these changes could influence litigation strategy, evidence presentation, and judicial accountability moving forward.
HB26-1309 does not automatically change custody orders or fix family court overnight. But it may create greater clarity, accountability, and recognition of abuse dynamics within the legal process.
Whether you're navigating family court yourself or supporting someone who is, this episode will help you understand both the promise and limitations of this new law.
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