title: Clinical advice from the bench.
abstract: This article discusses three aspects of family law: (1) a new approach to custody litigation currently in use in one family law court in New Mexico; (2) why some judges, lawyers, and family courts are slow to change the way family law cases are managed; and (3) how mental health professionals might change their interactions with the legal system to benefit both their professions and the people they serve.
authors.affiliation: Second Judicial District, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kass
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002655:Child Custody / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000639:trends; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007878:Legislation as Topic / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009516:New Mexico; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D002666:Psychology, Child / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*