032: From Advocacy to Law: Tom Alongi & Patricia Madsen on The Alec & Lydia Act| Part 2

To kick off Season Four of Voices Against Filicide, Hope sits down with attorneys Tom Alongi and Patricia Madsen, two of the legal minds who helped shape the Alec and Lydia Act (HB 2995).This episode will be released in two parts as they discuss how the legislation came to life, what it changes within Arizona family court, and why recognizing coercive control, domestic violence, and patterns of abuse is so important when protecting children and survivors. They also dive into written findings, temporary orders, accountability, and what these changes could mean for families moving forward.This is more than legislation; it is part of Alec and Lydia’s legacy and the continued fight to protect children and families.Thomas Alongi Family Law Attorney Alongi Law Firm PLLCWebsite: https://alongilawteam.studio/?fbclid=IwY2xjawT-mOBwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXBYWmFDdExFUXNOaXFXNHpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeZEMEVeQ-ap9i4Bgjaf_tEBk-lNSrcQx87_sPOKicCYdOe70jumONozg3Yio_aem_HnS8tJlJuC2gP-FuALn7IgPatricia MadsenPatricia Madsen is the Managing Attorney of the Family Law Unit at Community LegalServices (CLS) in Phoenix, Arizona. CLS is one of three nonprofit civil legal aidorganizations in Arizona that together provide civil legal assistance to low-incomeArizonans throughout the state. During her 25-year tenure at CLS, she has served on anumber of legal and community-based committees, advocating for victims and survivorsof domestic violence and their children. She is currently a member of the ArizonaSupreme Court’s Committee on Family Court (COFC) and the Committee on the Impactof Domestic Violence and the Courts (CIDVC). In addition to engaging in legislativeadvocacy, Ms. Madsen has directly contributed to several improvements in the Arizonacourt rules for protective orders and family law procedure. Most recently, her analysisand commentary during the drafting process, as well as direct advocacy withstakeholders, was instrumental in the passage of the Alec and Lydia Act in June of2026.Website = https://clsaz.org/Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/communitylegalservicesarizonaInstagram = https://www.instagram.com/clsarizona/AZ Law Help = https://azlawhelp.org/AZ Court Help = https://azcourthelp.org/https://www.lsc.gov/https://acesdv.org/TRIGGER WARNING This podcast contains deeply disturbing content, including firsthand accounts from parents and family members who have lost children to familicide—the murder of a child by a parent or caregiver. The stories are raw, emotional, and include details of immense loss, system failures, and trauma. Listeners are advised to take care, and may pause or stop the podcast if needed.Connect with Hope Hooton:Email: hopeinthepain@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hope_in_the_pain/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hope.in.the.painYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HopeinthepainWebsite: voicesagainstfilicide.odoo.com Support & Subscribe:If you found this episode meaningful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this podcast to amplify the stories of those who can no longer speak for themselves.Voices Against Filicide Merch Shop:https://momcast-productions.myspreadshop.com/The Rowan Project:https://therowanproject.org/Production Credits:Written, Researched, and Hosted by: Hope HootonProduced & Edited by: Rachel HollowayA Momcast ProductionVoices Against Filicide is a part of Momcast Production LLC.All content, including but not limited to audio, written materials, and visual assets, are protected under copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distributio