A Parents' Guide to Child Custody: What Every Parent Should Know About How Custody Decisions Are Made

By Frank Alabiso, Ph.D.

With a near 50% divorce rate in the United States, every parent who reads this book is either going through a divorce, has been divorced, is married to or living with someone who is divorced, or will go through one or more of his/her children's divorces.Unlike books designed to enlighten parents about children's reactions to divorce, A Parents' Guide to Child Custody is written for parents themselves.The book provides parents with an overview of the context within which custody is decided by courts today, including a chapter-by-chapter explanation of the factors that are
considered by the court in rendering a custody decision.
Part I opens the book with three brief case histories in which the reader is asked to put herself/himself in the place of the court by imaging what custody decisions they would make if they were the judge. This chapter is followed by an orientation to the three major factors that all courts consider in coming to a custody decision. Each subsequent chapter addresses the specific factors that are weighed by the court in its deliberations.Part II provides a more in-depth view of such topics as the factors considered by judges in coming to a custody decision, what to expect when undergoing a child custody
evaluation, the use and pitfalls of psychological tests, the assessment of parental capacity, and strategies for countering false allegations.Part III reviews eight myths (i.e. commonly held misconceptions) about what is best for children, as well as guidelines for discussing custody with your children.Part IV provides insight into how best to deal with parental alienation, domestic violence, and obstruction of one parent's access by the other parent after the court has ruled on
custody.
Part V concludes with eight sure-fire ways to lose custody as well as the custody evaluator's recommendations in each of the three hypothetical cases presented in Part I.
It is the author's sincere hope that this book will help parents become better advocates for themselves and for their children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Sep 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645757252

Frank Alabiso, Ph.D.

Dr. Frank Alabiso is a clinical psychologist with more than 40 years of experience in treating individuals for the psychological effects of trauma on personality development. Over the span of his career, Dr. Alabiso has treated four individuals afflicted with the rare diagnosis of multiple personality disorder. In the course of his private practice, Dr. Alabiso became acquainted with Lillian. Inspired by her personal strength and her triumph over mental illness, Dr. Alabiso joined Jean Baker Reynolds in bringing Lillian’s story to light. Jean Baker Reynolds has had a long and distinguished career as an editor and proofreader of publications for the U.S. Navy. Ms. Baker Reynolds is the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Unrestrained by the formal training of psychiatrists at the time, Ms. Baker Reynolds did what no psychiatrist could have done. She devoted 10 years of her life to Lillian’s triumph over multiple personality disorder. At age 93, Ms. Baker Reynolds is enthusiastically engaged in writing a series of children’s books.

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