Winner, 2021 Lawrence S. Wrightsman Book Award, given by the American
Psychology-Law Society
Bridges family law and current psychological research to shape
understanding of legal doctrine and policy
Family law encompasses legislation related to domestic
relationships--marriages, parenthood, civil unions, guardianship, and
more. No other area of law touches so closely to home, or is changing at
such a rapid pace--in fact, family law is so dynamic precisely because
it is inextricably intertwined with psychological issues such as human
behavior, attitudes, and social norms. However, although psychology and
family law may seem a natural partnership, both fields have much to
learn from each other. Our laws often fail to take into account our
empirical knowledge of psychology, falling back instead on faulty
assumptions about human behavior.
This book encourages our use of psychological research and methods to
inform understandings of family law. It considers issues including child
custody, intimate partner violence, marriage and divorce, and child and
elder maltreatment. For each topic discussed, Eve Brank presents a case,
statute, or legal principle that highlights the psychological issues
involved, illuminating how psychological research either supports or
opposes the legal principles in question, and placing particular
emphasis on the areas that are still in need of further research.
The volume identifies areas where psychology practice and research
already have been or could be useful in molding legal doctrine and
policy, and by providing psychology researchers with new ideas for
legally relevant research.
