When domestic abuse and children are involved, divorce and custody can be the epitome of high-stakes conflict and frustration and all too frequently protective parents lose custody of their child to a named abuser. Domestic Abuse, Child Custody, and Visitation helps mental health professionals, attorneys, and lay readers navigate the judicial process so that decisions are truly made in the best interest of children. The text reveals how all the puzzle pieces of the judicial process fit together -- judges, attorneys, mental health experts, children, spouses -- and how to overcome many of the obstacles they will confront along the way. This runs the gamut, from the selection of a lawyer and experts, to setting necessary groundwork for an appeal. Domestic Abuse, Child Custody, and Visitation is an essential read for mental health professionals and lay people involved in divorce and custody, family court judges, family law attorneys, and mental health professionals involved in domestic abuse and custody matters. -- Provided by publisher.

"When domestic abuse and children are involved, divorce and custody can be the epitome of high stakes conflict and frustration. This book helps laypeople, mental health professionals, and attorneys navigate the judicial process so that decisions are truly made in the best interest of children. This book shows the reader how all the puzzle pieces of the judicial process fit together: judges, attorneys, mental health experts, children, and spouses"-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-172) and index.

1. A great judicial fallacy -- 2. Defining the problem: representing a battered woman in divorce -- 3. Memory -- 4. Language is important to victims -- 5. Understanding the impact of violence on children -- 6. The attorney-client interview: its importance and implications -- 7. Pleading the case -- 8. The litigation continued -- 9. Using and choosing experts -- 10. Developing strategies -- 11. Family courts must demand science -- 12. The "Best Interest" standard versus changing the standard to assure child safety -- 13. The Intersection of forensic opinion and therapist testimony -- 14. Custody evaluations, therapy, child protection, and ethics -- 15. Mental health professionals take risks when evaluating children -- 16. Domestic abuse and child protection: is what we are doing working? -- 17. Conclusion: an open letter to a young lawyer: a critical look at the child custody system and what every mental health person should know about lawyers -- 18. Kids grow up.