New roles for family therapists in the courts: an overview with a focus on custody dispute resolution.
Many legal issues involve conflicts that are at least as much psychological and relational as they are legal in nature. Juvenile and family courts have always embraced a helping philosophy under the parens patriae legal doctrine. These courts address problems where family relationships are central, for example, custody and coparenting disputes, divorce, child abuse and neglect, foster care, intimate partner violence, and juvenile delinquency. Family therapists are playing a growing role in all of these matters. In this article, we use child custody disputes as a more in-depth example for exploring new, potential roles for family therapists, particularly as mediators and parenting coordinators. To show the breadth of the role for family therapists, we also more briefly consider the topics of child abuse and neglect, foster care, juvenile delinquency, and drug and alcohol issues.
Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.
Robert E
RE
Emery
Jenna
J
Rowen
Diana
D
Dinescu
D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D002655:Child Custody / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004243:Divorce; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D017008:Negotiating; D016487:Parenting; D024382:Professional Role; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
Custody; Family Therapy; Law; ley; terapia familiar; tutela de menores; 家庭心理治疗; 法律; 监护权