As much as I hate it, divorce is a reality that sometimes can’t be avoided. If the damage to your relationship is beyond repair and you find yourself facing a divorce, you owe it to yourself and to your children to have the best information available. Below you will find some of the finest resources I’ve found. They have been used by clients in my practice and come with my highest recommendations.
The Child Custody Library
The Child Custody Library has put together a wide variety of excellent material regarding custody issues. Even if your divorce is not currently taking on an adversarial tone , PLEASE BE PREPARED and get yourself a copy of any of these guides that apply to your situation. Custody arrangements for your children are of the utmost concern at this moment, and you definitely don’t want to come through this process with any regrets in this area. As Drs. Bricklin and Elliot (the authors) state, “it’s much easier to win the first time around than to re-open your case later.”
Winning and Keeping Custody of Your Children: 2009 Edition
This brand new and completely unique publication from Dr. Barry Bricklin and Dr. Gail Elliot is the most complete volume of information ever offered about child custody. These psychologists are two of the country’s most respected child custody experts, and together they have developed this program that gives a parent the absolute best chance of winning a favorable custody arrangement. This document will also give you the material you need to defend your custody rights when your ex attempts to disregard your rights and interfere or modify the agreement.
Since 1989, thousands of parents from all over the United States have relied on the extraordinary expertise of Drs. Bricklin and Elliot to get them through one of the most complicated, frustrating, and heartbreaking periods in their lives. Please, take advantage of their experience and use their knowledge and techniques to benefit your situation as well. The court systems today are overloaded, and you must be as well-informed as possible in order to secure your rights and protect your children. You simply can’t afford to make a mistake on something this important.
Psychologists’ Child Custody Strategies: 2009
With versions tailored specifically for men and women, this guide is considered the “gold standard” in child custody strategies. Written and continuously updated by two highly-respected psychologists with over 30 years of training and experience, this book contains a wealth of information that you will not find anywhere else. There are chapters devoted to critical subjects like “making your attorney work harder for you,” “the bribed or manipulated child,” “the best approach for a parent to use,” and “comprehensive custody evaluations,” to name just a few.
Purchase of this guide will also give you access to many other important resources such as tips for testifying in court and state-specific supplemental information. Parents in custody disputes have relied upon the expertise of Drs. Bricklin and Elliot since 1989, and I can personally attest to the incredible value and benefit this book provides.
Parents, I’m begging you… get your hands on this information today! In the past few months, I’ve seen the court system make too many heartbreaking decisions. Unfit, undeserving parents have won custody disputes largely because the better parent had too much faith in the justice system and too little information about custody strategies and psychological techniques. Don’t let that happen to you — your children are depending on you!
Grandparents’ Rights Manual: 2009 and Grandparents Going to Custody Court
Grandparents, are you being shut out of the lives of your grandchildren? Do you know that now, in EVERY STATE, you have the right to ask a court to grant you visitation or even custody of your grandchildren? Courts have finally recognized the sheer volume of research showing that children derive a great benefit from a healthy relationship with their grandparents, and they take this into consideration when issuing a decision “in the best interest of the child.” But a judge can ONLY act on your behalf if you enter the process equipped with the appropriate knowledge and resources to protect your rights and the rights of your grandchild.
Together, these two books will prepare you to enter the family court system on behalf of your grandchildren. The Grandparents’ Rights Manual will inform you in great detail of what your exact rights are and what the courts can do for you. The second book, Grandparents Going to Custody Court, will show how HOW to do it; this book covers everything, including details about how to testify and even what to wear in court. Combined, these books do an exceptional job covering the subject of Grandparents’ Rights – better than anything else you will find. Do yourself and your grandchildren a favor and pick up a copy of these books – they will help you more than you could ever imagine.
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS)
Parents, you may never have heard of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS), but it’s possible that you may experience it, or you may even be experiencing it right now. PAS is a disorder in which a child belittles, disparages, or outright slanders a parent, with absolutely no valid justification. It usually arises in the contect of a child custody dispute, and results from the “brainwashing” of a child by the rival parent.
If you are suffering through this ordeal, my heart is breaking for you. I’ve encountered problem in my practice, and it is truly gut-wrenching and tragic, especially because the victim in these cases is almost always the better of the two parents. Please, if you child is showing any signs of this condition, or if you are simply concerned that the other parent could be attempting to alienate your child, I implore you to take a look at these publications.
Modifying Your Custody & Visitation
Although it’s always best to have the assistance of a child custody attorney, the high cost of retaining a lawyer leads many folks to attempt to navigate the family court system themselves. These cases can be successful, if you educate yourself properly! Modifying Your Custody & Visitation gives you access to the information you will need to successfully change your child custody orders, including a discussion of the process, guidelines for behavior, all the legal forms you will need, and more. It will also enable you to download current copies of your state’s legal documents and any updates to the publication itself for a full year. Even if you prefer to have your attorney’s support in this procedure, Modifying Your Custody & Visitation will be an invaluable resource in helping you understand and benefit from the process.
Voluntary Termination of Parental Rights
Why would I be recommending this document? Well, when a parent gives up parental rights, he or she is no longer responsible for paying child support. This can be a powerful incentive to use if you are trying to prevent an irresponsible or unfit parent from getting custody of your children. Used properly, this strategy can keep you from ever worrying about your child’s custody arrangements ever again. When parental rights are terminated, custodial rights are completely abolished, along with any legal rights, privileges, and obligations with respect to the child. In addition to all the information you need about the process, effects, and recommendations about relinquishing parental rights, the Voluntary Termination of Parental Rights package includes all the legal forms required in your state along with instructions for completing and filing them.
