This is a unique family law resource, reflecting the real-world issues that are critical for working with child clients in dependency and family court settings. The authors--a psychologist who has worked with children since the mid-1980s, and an attorney who almost exclusively represents children in dependency court matters--recognize that lawyers who represent children must understand them, the system in which they are engaged, the services available to them, the schools they attend, their ethnic and cultural issues, their special needs, the legal issues they face outside of family and juvenile courts, and more. In addition, lawyers need to understand the issues faced by the parents with whom they live.

While some children's representatives work exclusively in this area and want to delve deeper into the issues of family dynamics examined in this book, this is also a useful resource for those who work with children's cases less frequently or are just beginning in the area and have had limited or no exposure to these issues. This clearly written and logical guide is an informed resource accessible to professionals at any level of experience.

Topics include:

• Conceptualizing the role of the children's representative, and well as intriguing thoughts about how this can evolve in the future
• Critical psychological issues involved, including trauma, child development, domestic violence, high-conflict separation and divorce, alienated or resistant children, and other special circumstances
• Professional responsibilities, including ethical issues in representing children, risks of bias in your work, and recognizing the professional toll involved

Table of Contents
Introduction
Section I - Conceptualizing the Role
Chapter 1: The Role of Children's Representatives as They Stand Today
Chapter 2: Unique Questions Related to Our Work with Children
Chapter 3: Imagining a New Role
Section II - Critical Psychological Issues to Understand
Chapter 4: Trauma
Chapter 5: Child Development
Chapter 6: Introduction to Domestic Violence and Its Impact on Children
Chapter 7: High-Conflict Separated and Divorced Parents
Chapter 8: Alienated-Resistant Children
Chapter 9: Special Circumstances
Section III - Professional Issues
Chapter 10: Ethical Issues in Representing Children
Chapter 11: Recognizing Risks of Bias and Illusion in Your Work
Chapter 12: The Professional Toll
Index

A unique family law resource, this book is written by a board-certified forensic psychologist with extensive experience in working with children, and an attorney who almost exclusively represents children in dependency court matters. Bringing this experience to the book, the authors focus on the real-world issues critical in working effectively with child clients in dependency and family court settings. The authors look at the psychological issues often represented in these cases, including trauma, child development, domestic violence, high-conflict separation and divorce, alienated or resistant children, and other special circumstances. They also look at the professional responsibilities involved, including ethical issues in representing children, risks of bias in your work, and recognizing the professional toll this work can take. Accessible equally to lawyers and related professionals with any level of experience, the authors conceptualize the role of the children's representative and offer intriguing thoughts about how this role can--and must--evolve in the future.