BACKGROUND Mothers who are dually-diagnosed with HIV/ AIDS and drug abuse are particularly burdened and vulnerable to loss of child custody. OBJECTIVES This study explores factors associated with child custody loss among HIV+ women in drug abuse recovery, and compares mothers who have custody of their children to mothers who do not have custody of all of their children. METHODS Descriptive ...

Child custody evaluations need to be studied systemically as a human service system. There is little research on the history, caseload dynamics, economics, delivery systems, or impact of custody evaluations. This article identifies five systems-level questions about custody evaluations and examines one, outcomes assessment, in detail by developing seven outcome hypotheses. The article concludes...

The threat of divorce for children lies in the disruption of relationships with the parents. The struggle for and through the children embodies the intense conflicts that often accompany the failing marriage. This study deals with a case study of child custody decision-making after its parental divorce and it points out the psychodynamic aspect of psychiatric – legal decision-making. The object...

Research Based Recommendations for Child Custody Evaluation Practices and Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence Daniel G. Saunders Ph.D. To cite this article: Daniel G. Saunders Ph.D. (2015) Research Based Recommendations for Child Custody Evaluation Practices and Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence, Journal of Child Custody, 12:1, 71-92, DOI: 10.1080/15379418.2015.1037052 T...

Relitigation of custody, visitation, and child support during a two-year period was used as a measure of postdivorce adjustment. A sample of highly adversarial families (n = 58) referred for a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation as part of a contested divorce custody or visitation action was compared to control samples of mother custody (n = 43), father custody (n = 30), and joint custody (n =...

There has been an increased focus on child custody evaluations involving domestic violence allegations with much criticism of evaluators' training, practices, and procedures. A national survey of 115 child custody evaluators (doctoral and master's level) was conducted to explore these criticisms. Findings revealed adequate training, multiple sources of data collection, and practices/procedures ...

Family Law typically promotes a nuclear family model and rules against parents who exhibit alternative sexual practices. The family court system uses the “best interest of the child” standard to guide custody decisions but the standard is vague so judges may consider nearly any kind of evidence or insert personal biases. This study examines the relationship between parental sexuality and child ...

Courts determine custody and visitation on the basis of the "best interests of the child." Current judicial rulings in some jurisdictions reflect a bias against awarding custody or granting visitation rights to homosexual parents, favoring the heterosexual parent or heterosexual relative of the child(ren). Should the sexual orientation of the parent play a part in the determination of custody o...