Mark Ludwig - Legislation - Americans for Equal Shared Parenting

Mark Ludwig is the founder and Executive Director of Americans for Equal Shared Parenting (AFESP), an organization dedicated to passing legislation that ensures children have equal access to both fit, willing, and able parents. He has been active in legislative efforts across 29 to 31 states, personally meeting with over 600 legislators and contributing to the passage of equal shared parenting laws in several jurisdictions.

Ludwig’s primary legislative strategy involves advocating for a “Rebuttable Presumption of 50/50” custody, which establishes equal parenting time as the default starting point in family court unless evidence proves it is not in the child’s best interest. This approach aims to reduce adversarial “winner-take-all” dynamics and financial incentives for litigation.

Legislative Impact and Examples

While specific bill numbers vary by session and state, Ludwig has been instrumental in the passage of equal shared parenting legislation in the following 10 examples of states:

Kentucky: Ludwig played an instrumental role in the passage of equal shared parenting laws.
Arkansas: Legislation was successfully advanced and passed under his advocacy efforts.
West Virginia: Equal shared parenting statutes were enacted with his support.
Florida: Ludwig contributed to the successful passage of shared parenting legislation.
Missouri: Ludwig championed bills such as HB724 and SB377 to establish a rebuttable presumption of 50/50 custody; while these specific bills faced procedural hurdles, the state remains a key focus for passing solid presumption bills.
South Carolina: Ludwig held events to honor legislators fighting for children’s rights and worked on local coalitions; the South Carolina House of Representatives passed a resolution in April 2024 honoring Ludwig for his contributions to equal shared parenting legislation.
Pennsylvania: Ludwig provided testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee in December 2019 regarding equal shared parenting and Title IV-D incentives.
Ohio: Ludwig provided proponent testimony for HB508 in March 2022, arguing against the “winner-take-all” system.
St. Louis/Missouri Region: Ludwig operates through STLMarkLudwig.com and coordinates state-level efforts in Missouri, including media relations and appeals court coordination.
National Legislative Training: Ludwig authored “Make a Difference – The Insider’s Guide to Passing State Legislation” and offers in-depth courses to train leaders in 31 states to replicate successful legislative models.

Key Legislative Principles

Rebuttable Presumption: The core model Ludwig promotes, ensuring equal custody is the default assumption until proven otherwise.
Due Process: Ludwig advocates for due process rights in family court, including cross-examination of witnesses and protection against false allegations.
Child-Centered Approach: The legislation aims to maintain strong, loving relationships between children and both biological parents, reducing behavioral problems and improving academic performance.
Anti-Adversarial: The goal is to shift family court from a competitive legal battle to a collaborative parenting framework.

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