Discusses the "Baby M" surrogate motherhood case which has produced heated debate in popular media, legal publications, and other professional journals. Summarizes arguments offered and reasoning behind actions of judiciary. (Author/ABL)

Discusses two questions raised by sexually abused children's involvement in the legal system: competency to testify; and procedural and evidentiary reforms to protect child witnesses. Reviews relevant psychological research. Recommends that children be permitted to testify without prior qualification. (Author/BH)

Analyzes the assumptions implicit in the legal professon's model of divorce (that it is a legal process involving the application of legal rules to the facts of the parties' lives), argues their inadequacies and inappropriateness, and suggests how therapists should view divorce mediation based upon their own understanding. (BH)

Examines the ethical and legal implications of adhering to treatment protocols in family therapy outcome research. Safeguards are proposed to minimize risks to subjects, and guidelines are suggested to prevent therapist deviation from treatment protocols. (Author)

Addresses community attitude that angry adversarial divorces are normal and inevitable and asserts that, to change the divorce experience of Americans, the community attitude must change. Notes that one part of client community created and demanded and achieved joint custody and no fault divorce, and that it is up to the clients to demand and…

Examines the issues related to informed consent and decisions to employ conjoint or one-spouse formats in therapy with discordant couples. Features a discussion of options for ensuring informed consent as protection for both the therapist and his/her client(s). (Author/ABB)

Addresses the parental alienation syndrome, which is the process by which one parent overtly or covertly speaks or acts in a derogatory manner to or about the other parent during or subsequent to a divorce proceeding, in an attempt to alienate the child or children from that other parent. (Author)

Examines legal proscriptions and practical definitions of sexual harassment, describes psychological effects of sexual harassment (Sexual Harassment Trauma Syndrome) for victim-client and impact on family system, and offers guidance for family therapy. Focuses on vulnerability of victim-client, reconstruction of self-concept as primary goal of…

Gives a brief account of recent developments in matrimonial law related to divorce, custody, and visitation to the children of divorcing couples. Discusses the development of mediation, its organizational structure, and its place within the context of the legal system of the United Kingdom. Outlines the principles of conciliation. (Author/ABL)

Argues that, properly understood, divorce mediation represents a rejection of a legal model of divorce and a substitution of a mental health model, and shows how such a model would be applied to the disputes between separating and divorcing couples. (Author/MCF)

Widows and divorcees appear to be confronted with a number of similar problems. Their reactions to being single again, sometimes quite suddenly, are frequently based, however, on a different sequence of events. The similarities and differences of the two statuses are discussed as they are affected by legal issues and in terms of the implications…

Surrogate motherhood is a path to parenthood filled with legal "potholes" and psychological "rocks." Mental health specialists, especially marital and family therapists, may well be called upon to provide their professional services to people attempting to negotiate it. Introduces a number of potential hazards, presenting the…

Examines phenomenon of unwed fathers seeking custody of offspring. Cites case studies illustrating varied motives of these fathers not necessarily in the child's best interests. Explores custody disputes with prospective adoptive parents and issues of parental and children's rights in terms of their implications for therapists and attorneys.…

Reviewed the published research on the psychological significance of names and name changes. Found little data pertaining to the implications of a woman changing or retaining her surname at marriage. Suggests such research would have relevance for individual personality development, marital and family relationships, and social and cultural…