Emotionally charged issues abound in matrimonial practice, especially
in custody disputes. Expert testimony can have a dramatic impact on the
outcome of a case, and when matters are highly sensitive or sensational the
seeming objectivity of an expert can be dispositive. To effectively reinforce
or question that testimony, certain specialized knowledge is essential.
Scientifically accepted standards and theories are constantly evolving.
Keeping up with the data had been a challenge, but one integrated resource has
made it simple.
Aspen Publishers’ Psychological Experts in Divorce Actions
pulls all the research together into the definitive guide to understanding the
role of psychological evaluations in divorce and custody actions. Focused on
providing the best approach to protecting your client’s interests, this work
explains all the leading testing instruments,what conclusions may be drawn and
how to challenge or support those conclusions. In addition to offering
effective examination and cross-examination strategies, it assists you in
handling the gamut of psychological factors that affect clients in divorce
and custody cases.
Authors Marc J. Ackerman, Ph.D., and Andrew W. Kane, Ph.D., are
licensed psychologists who have been involved in hundreds of custody
cases. Drawing on their extensive experience—testing parties to a
divorce and treating psychological patients in the clinic—and as
psychological experts in the courtroom, they identify the most important
psychological evaluation research used in divorce and custody
decision-making and distill the information into clear terms lawyers can
readily apply.They also examine vital issues including:
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Ethics—confidentiality, privilege, duty to warn or protect (Tarasoff),
sharing raw data, test integrity
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Sexual abuse—bona fide or fabricated allegations, psychological effects
of sexual abuse, profiles of abuser and abused
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Testing—personality tests (including MMPI-2, and the new MMPI-2-RF,
Rorschach,Millon,TAT); intelligence tests (Wechsler scales,Kaufman scales,
Stanford Binet); custody tests (ASPECT, PCRI, PASS, BPS); and many more
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How divorce affects families—custody, placement, age and gender
differences, grandparents, sexual preference, psychological problems
Automatic Supplementation
