In August 2025, Kelley Wolf was arrested in Utah and charged with electronic harassment and doxxing, after allegedly posting her estranged husband Scott Wolf’s personal information online, as reported by many media outlets. The court’s response was swift: Kelley was ordered to stay at least 300 feet away from Scott and their three children, banned from contacting them, and required to undergo court-ordered psychological and medical treatment.

This wasn’t just about punishment. It was about protection, stability, and creating a path forward in a case where the children’s well-being was on the line.

Let’s discuss how these issues are treated by the courts:

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The Courts’ Role

Judges aren’t simply arbiters of law; in family cases, they’re guardians of children’s best interests. When a parent shows signs of instability, courts don’t always rush to terminate rights or cut off contact. Instead, they often impose conditions like rehabilitation, therapy, parenting classes, supervised visitation. These conditions function as both safeguards and opportunities.

In New York, we often see conditions that include the use of Soberlink (a device that functions as a breathalyzer that plugs into the person’s cellphone), and other drug testing. We have experts that will get involved to assess the situation and help develop a plan for the parent and children. Highly volatile cases can include use of apps that are designed to record parent communications, so that messages cannot be altered.

These treatment requirements and protections tell the parent: Your role isn’t gone, but you must show the court and your children that you are willing to do the work to be safe and stable.

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Rebuilding Trust

In high-conflict divorces, trust is currency. The court must trust that a parent can handle custody safely. The children must trust that time with that parent won’t expose them to chaos or harm. The other parent must trust that co-parenting won’t mean constant crisis management.

Treatment plans, when followed, become a tangible way to rebuild that trust. They are a roadmap for the parent in crisis to demonstrate progress. They give the court benchmarks. They give the children consistency. And they give the other parent reassurance that the system isn’t ignoring red flags.

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The Role of the Lawyer

As family lawyers, it’s easy to focus on the adversarial side of these cases: motions, orders, and hearings. But when mental health is in play, advocacy has to expand. Sometimes the best thing we can do for a client is not just to fight for custody or assets, but to guide them toward treatment and help them integrate those steps into their legal strategy.

A parent who voluntarily enters therapy, complies with drug testing, or proactively enrolls in a rehabilitation program sends a strong signal to the court: I am willing to change, I am willing to work, I am willing to put my children first.

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Three Key Takeaways for Family Lawyers

1. Frame Treatment as a Pathway, Not a Punishment.
When a parent is ordered into therapy, rehab, or supervised visitation, it’s easy for them to feel penalized. Lawyers can reframe this: treatment is not the end of parental rights, it’s the first step in rebuilding credibility with the court and stability with the children.

2. Integrate Compliance Into Your Strategy.
Courts take note of parents who are proactive. A client who begins therapy voluntarily, submits clean drug screens, or engages in parenting classes before being ordered to do so gains powerful evidence of good faith. Build compliance into your litigation plan: it strengthens arguments for custody time and softens judicial skepticism.

3. Use Treatment Plans as Trust-Building Evidence.
In high-conflict custody disputes, “trust” is often the most fragile currency. Documentation of compliance with treatment plans (attendance logs, therapist reports, test results) isn’t just paperwork: it’s proof that a parent is addressing concerns head-on. Judges, guardians ad litem, and even the other parent will weigh this heavily when deciding parenting time.

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Final Thoughts

The Kelley and Scott Wolf case is more than a celebrity implosion. It’s a public reminder that divorce isn’t just about dividing property or calculating support, it’s about navigating very human struggles like mental illness, addiction, and trauma. For family lawyers, it underscores this truth: treatment plans aren’t side notes to a case. They are central tools for protecting children, supporting parents, and giving courts a framework for balancing compassion with accountability.

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t punishment, but creating a future where the children can feel safe, loved, and connected to both parents whenever possible.