Contemporary Issues in Family Law and Mental Health

Book excerpt: "Contemporary Issues in Family Law and Mental Health is an original and practical discussion of cutting-edge issues in family relations and the law. Through the prism of family law, and custody disputes in particular, it discusses the basic principles that underlie the proper use of mental health evidence in court and it sets out the proper use of mental health evidence in litigation. In this book of twenty chapters, Michael G. Brock and Samuel Saks discuss many important topics: Facilitative and evaluative mediation, case preparation versus the expert witness, the privilege and ethics of forensic practice, therapy court, valid and invalid scientific evidence, false allegations of abuse, parental alienation, child advocacy, mental health forensics, and child therapy. In addition, the effect of the amendment to the Michigan Rule of Evidence 703 on expert testimony in court is examined, as well as the forensic interviewing protocol in child abuse cases, science and technology, and the search for truth. In several chapters, the authors also describe the problems involved in establishing child abuse in the courts. The book also includes the elements of child custody evaluations, the use of the polygraph test, and when child abuse constitutes malpractice. This engaging book will enrich the literature on family law and mental health. It will help shed light on the challenges and pitfalls that surround the use of mental health evidence in court."--BOOK JACKET.