Conducted one-year follow-up study on families randomly assigned to settle custody disputes either in mediation or through adversary procedures. Consistent with Time 1 reports, at Time 2, fathers who mediated were substantially more satisfied than were fathers who litigated. Fathers who mediated also complied more with child support orders.…

Replicated earlier study in which parents negotiated child custody disputes either in mediation or through adversary system. Subjects in new study were 35 mediation families and 36 litigation families. In both studies, mediation greatly reduced frequency of custody hearings, allowed earlier settlements, and improved satisfaction reported by…

Forty pairs of separated parents were randomly assigned to attempt to settle their child custody dispute either in mediation or through adversary procedures. Outcomes of the two methods of dispute resolution were compared in regard to diversions from court, parents' evaluations of the court experience, and parents' psychological adjustment.…

Examined psychological adjustment and correlates of psychological adjustment of seventh and ninth grade students residing in two-parent nuclear families, stepfather families, and mother-custody divorced families. Adjustment related negatively to family conflict and to use of externalizing coping strategies, and positively to the family dimensions…