Subjects:  1. Family Law - Children    2. Medical    3. Mental Health    4. Psychiatry - Child & Adolescent    5. Psychology    6. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent    7. Reference   

Subjects:  1. Family Law - Children    2. Legal Reference / Law Profession   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Civil Rights    3. Family Law - Children    4. General    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal status, laws, etc.    8. Parent and child (Law)    9. Popular works    10. Single parents    11. United States    12. Law / Domestic Relations / Children    13. Law | Family and Child Law   

Subjects:  1. Family Law - Children    2. General    3. Law    4. Political And Civil Rights    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - Marriage & Family    7. Sociology Of Children    8. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    9. Social Science / Social Work    10. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. Family Law - Children    2. Law    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession   

Subjects:  1. Child Advocacy    2. Children    3. Children (International law)    4. Family Law - Children    5. International    6. Law    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Legal status, laws, etc    9. Law / International    10. Public international law   

Subjects:  1. Divorce    2. Domestic Relations - Children    3. Domestic Relations - Divorce & Separation    4. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    5. Family Law - Divorce & Separation    6. Law    7. Practical Guides   

Subjects:  1. Family Law - Children    2. Law    3. English law: family law   

Subjects:  1. Child Advocacy    2. Civil Procedure    3. Family Law - Children    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Social Work    7. Law / Child Advocacy   

Subjects:  1. Children with disabilities    2. Family Law - Children    3. Health Care Delivery    4. Infants    5. Law    6. Medical / Nursing    7. Services for    8. Toddlers    9. United States   

Reviews (2)

What every family judge, attorney, and parent should read
The author, who happens to be a judge, writes from the unique point of view of the child's interest -- not the mother's, father's, attorney's or GAL's (the latter two who usually run the show in family court). While it's well-known that most divorces are won by whoever has the most money and the best-connected lawyer (still, about money and paybacks to courts and judges - yes, it's a fact!) -- it's wonderful to discover that there are still a few wise people out there who care about the children involved. Mason's book demysifies The Custody Wars brilliantly.
The thesis of Berkeley Law Professor Mary Ann Mason's highly readable and powerfully argued The Custody Wars is that the U.S. legal system fails to provide adequate representation and concern for the interests of childrenin custody disputes.Judiciously articulated irony abounds, as when Masonexposes the court system's vulnerability to the cynically utilizedself-interest of many middle/upper class fathers and mothers for whomparenting is on the back burner.On the other hand, it is equally ironicthat parents of both genders who practice self-sacrificism (not healthy,involved parenting) are sometimes the most childishly selfish in insistingupon their entitlement, regardless of the child's feelings.We learn ofchildren whose lives are ridiculously fragmented and enervated by jointcustody shuttlings, and yet we also hear of children who have benefitedfrom the arrangement, thanks in large measure to the parents' maturity. As evidenced by the specificity and nuanced analysis in her case studies,Mason's scrupulous fairness and flexibility in offering parameters ofjudgment about custodial fitness are rooted in compassion for the child'swell-being.She simultaneously seeks reasonably objective standards whilerealizing how difficult they are to determine, especially on ideologicalbattlefields.Hers is wisdom unavailable to radical relativists or thetheologically impaired. To note only two of many fine examples of her clearthinking about how the court system can be changed to make custodydecisions more child-centered, Mason proposes that judges be educated inchild development and that reviews of custody arrangements be mandated whenthe child is 7 and 12.Professor Mason has much of interest forvarious potential readerships.There are chapters on the unwed father,stepparents, domestic violence, gay and lesbian parents, and "testtube troubles."Mason's argument merits serious attention from abroad spectrum of policy-makers, academics, and warring couples andex-couples.In fact, as a friend of mine, a single mother faced withabsurd demands from a father with an abysmal track record, declared,"This book should be required reading for every couple consideringmarriage or children." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Child support    2. Children's rights    3. Custody of children    4. Domestic Relations - Children    5. Domestic Relations Law    6. Family Law - Children    7. Law    8. Law and legislation    9. Legal Reference / Law Profession    10. Legal System    11. Psychotherapy - Child & Adolescent    12. United States    13. English law: family law    14. Family law    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Custody of children    3. Family Law - Children    4. Family Law - Divorce & Separation    5. Family Law - General    6. Law    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Mental health laws    9. United States   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Divorce & Separation    3. Family & Relationships    4. Family Law - Children    5. Family/Marriage    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Presidents & Heads of State    8. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    9. Other prose: 19th century    10. Political leaders & leadership    11. USA    12. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Actions and defenses    2. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    3. Domestic relations    4. England    5. Family Law - Children    6. Family Law - General    7. Law    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. English law: family law    10. Law / Domestic Relations / General    11. Law | Family and Child Law    12. Study guides, home study & revision notes   

Subjects:  1. Abuse - General    2. Child Abuse    3. Child sexual abuse    4. Children's rights    5. Criminology    6. Family & Relationships    7. Family Law - Children    8. Political And Civil Rights    9. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    10. Sociology    11. Constitutional & administrative law    12. Human rights    13. Sexual abuse    14. Current Events    15. Pornography   

Subjects:  1. Business/Economics    2. Child support    3. Divorce    4. Domestic Relations - Children    5. Domestic Relations - Divorce & Separation    6. Family Law - Children    7. Family Law - Divorce & Separation    8. Law and legislation    9. Legal Reference / Law Profession    10. Popular works    11. Practical Guides    12. Social Science    13. Sociology - Marriage & Family    14. United States   

Subjects:  1. Domestic Relations - Children    2. Legal Reference / Law Profession   

Subjects:  1. Family Law - Children    2. Legal Reference / Law Profession    3. English law: constitutional & administrative    4. English law: family law    5. Law / General