Gatekeeping Is not a legal term and is rarely heard in Arizona. It refers to a parent's behavior in controlling or influencing the child's access to and relationship with the other parent. Gatekeeping can be protective, a parent who limits contact with an unsafe parent to protect the child or restrictive such as a parent who limits contact without legitimate safety reasons.

Protective gatekeeping is appropriate when a parent has genuine safety concerns based on documented facts. Restrictive gatekeeping without safety justification is harmful to the child and to the family court proceedings.

Distinguishing between protective and restrictive gatekeeping requires careful examination of the facts behind the limiting behavior. A parent who limits contact after documented domestic violence has every right to protect the child and is in a very different position from a parent who limits contact to gain litigation leverage. See the Alec and Lydia Act.