Family law: What's different?

A medley of new professions, programs and terms is moving into family law.

Last update: April 4, 2007 - 9:09 AM

A medley of new professions, programs and terms is moving into family law. (The options below may be deemed unworkable in cases of domestic or child abuse or addiction.)

Child specialists and parenting consultants: These mental health professionals try to keep parents out of court and often team up with financial specialists and collaborative attorneys. Child specialists typically meet briefly with parents, then more substantially with children before helping to write a "parenting plan," which spells out everything from discipline to what happens if one parent moves out of state. Parenting consultants help resolve high-conflict post-divorce issues regarding parenting time or seemingly innocuous details such as who takes the kids for haircuts. Hourly cost can be half what a lawyer charges.

Collaborative law: A dozen years ago, local family law attorney Stuart Webb developed an alternative form of dispute resolution. Today more than 10,000 professionals are trained in collaborative law worldwide. Divorcing couples and their lawyers agree that they will not go to court, and often team up with financial experts, mental health professionals and coaches.

Custody studies: Once the norm but now considered detrimental to families in the long run, custody studies, also called evaluations, are conducted if parents cannot come to a resolution on their own. Studies typically take four months and include interviews with family members, relatives and teachers, home visits and the opening of medical and school records.

Divorce coaches: These mental health professionals coach couples to resolve concerns themselves. The process is often done in one or two sessions, but sometimes takes longer.

Early Neutral Evaluation: This new program in Hennepin County Family Court centers on the hot-button issues of custody, parenting time and finances. ENE has been shown to get divorcing parents into and out of court amicably and without burning through their savings.

Financial neutrals: Financial experts, usually part of a team, help couples assess their assets and debts and devise strategies for running separate households while protecting their children's future.

Mediation: Mediators guide parents toward conflict resolution, but make clear the solution is the couple's to make.

Parenting time: Formerly called "visitation" and largely used in reference to fathers, the new phrase assumes children are best served when Mom and Dad are involved in their lives.

GAIL ROSENBLUM

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TASTE OF MINNESOTA - April 4, 2007

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