With a near 50% divorce rate in the United States, every parent who
reads this book is either going through a divorce, has been divorced, is
married to or living with someone who is divorced, or will go through
one or more of his/her children's divorces. Unlike books designed to
enlighten parents about children's reactions to divorce, A Parents'
Guide to Child Custody is written for parents themselves. The book
provides parents with an overview of the context within which custody is
decided by courts today, including a chapter-by-chapter explanation of
the factors that are considered by the court in rendering a custody
decision.
Part I opens the book with three brief case histories in which the
reader is asked to put herself/himself in the place of the court by
imaging what custody decisions they would make if they were the judge.
This chapter is followed by an orientation to the three major factors
that all courts consider in coming to a custody decision. Each
subsequent chapter addresses the specific factors that are weighed by
the court in its deliberations. Part II provides a more in-depth view of
such topics as the factors considered by judges in coming to a custody
decision, what to expect when undergoing a child custody evaluation, the
use and pitfalls of psychological tests, the assessment of parental
capacity, and strategies for countering false allegations. Part III
reviews eight myths (i. e. commonly held misconceptions) about what is
best for children, as well as guidelines for discussing custody with
your children. Part IV provides insight into how best to deal with
parental alienation, domestic violence, and obstruction of one parent's
access by the other parent after the court has ruled on custody.
Part V concludes with eight sure-fire ways to lose custody as well as
the custody evaluator's recommendations in each of the three
hypothetical cases presented in Part I.
It is the author's sincere hope that this book will help parents become
better advocates for themselves and for their children.
