Parenting Plan Evaluations: Applied Research for the Family Court

More so than in any other form of forensic evaluation, mental health professionals who conduct parenting plan evaluations must have an understanding of the most current evidence in the areas of child development, optimal parenting plans across various populations, behavioral psychology, family violence, and legal issues to inform their opinions. In addition, family law judges and legal professionals require the best available evidence to support their decisions and positions. Parenting Plan Evaluations has become the go-to source for the most current empirical evidence in the field of child custody disputes. Fully updated in this Second Edition, the volume continues its focus on translating and implementing research associated with the most important topics within the family court. It presents an organized and in-depth analysis of the latest research and offers specific recommendations for applying these findings to the issues in child custody disputes. Written by international experts in the field, chapters cover the most important and complex issues that arise in family court, such as attachment and overnight timesharing with very young children, co-parenting children with chronic medical conditions and developmental disorders, domestic violence during separation and divorce, alienation, gay and lesbian co-parents, and relocation, among others. This volume assists forensic mental health professionals to proffer empirically based opinions, conclusions, and recommendations and assists family law judges and attorneys in evaluating the reliability of the information provided to the courts by mental health professionals in their reports and testimony. Not just for forensic evaluators, Parenting Plan Evaluations is a must-read for legal practitioners, family law judges and attorneys, and other professionals seeking to understand more about the science behind parenting plan evaluations.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Editors Contributors Section 1: Social Science Evidence and the Law Chapter 1. Scientific and Professional Knowledge for Family Court: Legal Expectations of Experts Jonathan W. Gould, Milfred D. Dale, Nicki Beth Fisher, and Madeline R. Gould Section 2: Foundation of Personality Development: Parental Insightfulness Chapter 2. Parents' Insightfulness: The Importance of Keeping the Inner World of the Child in Mind for Parenting Plan Evaluations David Oppenheim and Nina Koren-Karie Section 3: Factors Associated With Children's Adjustment to Parents' Separation and Time Sharing Chapter 3. How Do Parenting Time and Interparental Conflict Affect the Relations of Quality of Parenting and Child Well-Being Following Divorce? Nicole E. Mahrer, Irwin N. Sandler, Sharlene A. Wolchik, Emily B. Winslow, John A. Moran, and David Weinstock Chapter 4. Father-Child Relationships: The Missing Link Between Parenting Time and Children's Mental and Physical Health William V. Fabricius, Karina R. Sokol, Priscilla Diaz, and Sanford L. Braver Chapter 5. Supporting Father Involvement in the Context of Separation and Divorce Marsha Kline Pruett, Carolyn Pape Cowan, Philip A. Cowan, Lisa Pradhan, Sarah Robins, and Kyle D. Pruett Chapter 6. Shared-Time Parenting: Evaluating the Evidence of Risks and Benefits to Children Bruce M. Smyth, Jennifer E. McIntosh, Robert E. Emery, and Shelby L. Higgs Howarth Chapter 7. Critical Analysis of Research on Parenting Plans and Children's Well-Being Michael E. Lamb Section 4: Children's Disorders That Require Specialized Parenting Chapter 8. Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Parental Separation and Divorce Rachel Birnbaum, Lucyna M. Lach, and Donald T. Saposnek Chapter 9. Co-Parenting Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Suzanne E. U. Kerns and Ronald J. Prinz Section 5: Complex Special Issues Affecting Parenting and the Stability of the Parent-Child Relationship Chapter 10. Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse in Parenting Plan Evaluations: Assessing Children's Memory and Behavior Kathryn Kuehnle, Pamela S. Ludolph, and Sonja P. Brubacher Chapter 11. Gatekeeping After Separation and Divorce Lawrence Ganong, Marilyn Coleman, and Ashton Chapman Chapter 12. Intimate Partner Violence and Child Custody Fernanda S. Rossi, Amy Holtzworth-Munroe, and Brittany N. Rudd Chapter 13. Empirical Studies of Alienation Michael Saini, Janet R. Johnston, Barbara Jo Fidler, and Nicholas Bala Chapter 14. Relocation, Research, and Child Custody Disputes Patrick Parkinson, Nicola Taylor, Judith Cashmore, and William G. Austin Section 6: Cultural and Political Issues Chapter 15. Cultural Dynamics of Divorce and Parenting Gitu Bhatia and Michael Saini Chapter 16. Never-Married Parents in Family Court Liza Cohen Hita and Sanford L. Braver Chapter 17. Gay and Lesbian Parents and Their Children: Research Relevant to Custody Cases Suzanne M. Johnson, Elizabeth O> 'Connor, and Samantha L. Tornello Section 7: Research Applied to Practice Chapter 18. Considerations for Step-Up Planning: When and How to Determine the "Right" Time Marsha Kline Pruett, Robin M. Deutsch, and Leslie Drozd Chapter 19. Putting It All Together: Effective Intervention Planning for Children and Families Lyn R. Greenberg and Jay L. Lebow Index