Caring for Families in Court

Caring for Families in Court
Author: Barbara A. Babb
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2019-01-15
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1134842619

In many US courts and internationally, family law cases constitute almost half of the trial caseload. These matters include child abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency, as well as divorce, custody, paternity, and other traditional family law issues. In this book, the authors argue that reforms to the family justice system are necessary to enable it to assist families and children effectively. The authors propose an approach that envisions the family court as a "care center," by blending existing theories surrounding court reform in family law with an ethic of care and narrative practice. Building on conceptual, procedural, and structural reforms of the past several decades, the authors define the concept of a unified family court created along interdisciplinary lines — a paradigm that is particularly well suited to inform the work of family courts. These prior reforms have contributed to enhancing the family justice system, as courts now can shape comprehensive outcomes designed to improve the lives of families and children by taking into account both their legal and non-legal needs. In doing so, courts can utilize each family’s story as a foundation to fashion a resolution of their unique issues. In the book, the authors aim to strengthen a court’s problem-solving capabilities by discussing how incorporating an ethic of care and appreciating the family narrative can add to the court’s effectiveness in responding to families and children. Creating the court as a care center, the authors conclude, should lie at the heart of how a family justice system operates. The authors are well-known figures in the area and have been involved in family court reform on both a US national and an international scale for many years.

A New Juvenile Justice System

A New Juvenile Justice System
Author: Nancy E. Dowd
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2015-05-15
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1479898805

A New Juvenile Justice System aims at nothing less than a complete reform of the existing system: not minor change or even significant overhaul, but the replacement of the existing system with a different vision. The authors in this volume—academics, activists, researchers, and those who serve in the existing system—all respond in this collection to the question of what the system should be. Uniformly, they agree that an ideal system should be centered around the principle of child well-being and the goal of helping kids to achieve productive lives as citizens and members of their communities. Rather than the existing system, with its punitive, destructive, undermining effect and uneven application by race and gender, these authors envision a system responsive to the needs of youth as well as to the community’s legitimate need for public safety. How, they ask, can the ideals of equality, freedom, liberty, and self-determination transform the system? How can we improve the odds that children who have been labeled as “delinquent” can make successful transitions to adulthood? And how can we create a system that relies on proven, family-focused interventions and creates opportunities for positive youth development? Drawing upon interdisciplinary work as well as on-the-ground programs and experience, the authors sketch out the broad parameters of such a system. Providing the principles, goals, and concrete means to achieve them, this volume imagines using our resources wisely and well to invest in all children and their potential to contribute and thrive in our society.

Dismantling Family Court Corruption: Why Taking The Kids Was Not Enough

Dismantling Family Court Corruption: Why Taking The Kids Was Not Enough
Author: Maryann Petri
Publisher:
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2020-03-26
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781648718366

Family Court has become highly profitable business. In courtrooms across this nation, children are being torn away and isolated from their father or mother as they become pawns in a game designed to keep parent's fighting, and money flowing. Today, a narcissistic, abusive parent can easily use the "justice system" to punish, torment and alienate the target parent. CPS workers frequently use their power to enable such abuse, as their opinions are treated as scientific conclusions during trials where the alienated parent finds his or herself disparaged and maligned without evidence to back up such attacks other than the observations of these case workers. Maryann Petri's story is a critical example revealing the truth about Family Court corruption. It is a must-read for anyone going through such legal oppression, both to validate their suffering and to provide tools with which to fight back, as Maryann teaches what she has learned. Dismantling Family Court Corruption: Why Taking The Kids Was Not Enough tells the story of Maryann's journey, providing essential "Takeaways" throughout which conveys to the reader the wisdom she gained which can empower them to be stronger, more resilient and more successful in the midst of their own Family Court battles. As a Pro Se, Maryann has a better record than most attorneys, winning two cases in Superior Court.Dismantling Family Court Corruption is also an essential book to demonstrate how easily and effectively Family Law professionals are able to exploit the contention of parents, and proves the utter lack of oversight to prevent such abuse. Maryann's story is not unique; she is one of thousands whose tragedies have brought to the forefront the new psychological term: Parental Alienation. While painful to read, Maryann's story is fast-paced and provides many moments of humor and hope as she recounts courtroom experiences and what it was like being sent to jail, a real-life debtor's prison. Sitting in the holding cell, she used the acoustics of the cement walls to ring with beautiful music that even the guards stopped to admire. At only pages, it is an approachable book which can serve as one of the most important resources for raising awareness and starting conversations about Family Law Corruption and the reality of Parental Alienation. Maryann observes, "Although my story is ultimately tragic, as I lost my children to the beastly system, I can find purpose and meaning in what I have gone through. I hope that my book will serve to indict the system which broke (figuratively and financially) and damaged my family so that changes will be made to prevent such false accusations, extortion and persecution in the future."Maryann Petri is a first-hand-experience, leading expert on the issue of Family Court corruption. She is at the forefront of the movement to stop this abuse and has a website, blog and podcast which can be found at www.DismantlingFamilyCourtCorruption.com.

What Is a Family Justice System For?

What Is a Family Justice System For?
Author: Mavis Maclean
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 283
Release: 2022-08-25
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1509950982

Does a justice system have a welfare function? If so, where does the boundary lie between justice and welfare, and where can the necessary resources and expertise be found? In a time of austerity, medical emergency, and limited public funding, this book explores the role of the family justice system and asks whether it has a function beyond decision-making in dispute resolution. Might a family justice system even help to prevent or minimise conflict as well as resolving dispute when it arises? The book is divided into 4 parts, with contributions from 22 legal scholars working across Europe, Australia, Argentina and Canada. - Part 1 looks at what constitutes a family justice system in different jurisdictions, and how a welfare element is included in the legal framework. - Part 2 looks at those engaged with a family justice system as professionals and users, and explores how far private ordering is encouraged in different countries. - Part 3 looks at new ways of working within a family justice system and raises the question of whether the move towards privatisation derives from the intrinsic value of individual autonomy and acceptance of responsibility in family disputes, or whether it is also a response to the increasing burden on the state of providing a welfare-minded family justice system. - Part 4 explores recent major changes of direction for the family justice systems of Australia, Argentina, Turkey, Spain, and Germany.

Research Handbook on Family Justice Systems

Research Handbook on Family Justice Systems
Author: Mavis Maclean
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 447
Release: 2023-05-09
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1800881401

Bringing together current research from a diverse range of jurisdictions on family law, the Research Handbook on Family Justice Systems addresses the aims and boundaries of family justice systems. Delineating the common purpose of family law to achieve fairness for groups of people who live or have lived together, this Research Handbook is concerned with the rules referred to as ‘family law’, but also with the institutions comprising the operating system.

The Justice System and the Family

The Justice System and the Family
Author: Sheila Royo Maxwell
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2022-10-14
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1803823615

An enlightening insight into the family dynamics surrounding contact with the justice system, Police, Courts, and Incarceration is interesting reading for researchers and students of family, sociology and criminology.

Litigants in Person and the Family Justice System

Litigants in Person and the Family Justice System
Author: Jessica Mant
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2022-11-17
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1509947361

This book is about those who represent themselves as Litigants in Person in the family justice system. It calls for a refocusing of the debate about the historical challenges associated with Litigants in Person as well as the role they should play within the family justice system in England and Wales. Drawing together interviews with Litigants in Person and decades of research into self-representation from across multiple jurisdictions, this book provides an account of the family justice system through the eyes of its users. It employs an innovative socio-legal framework comprising feminist theory, a Bourdieusian theory of class, vulnerability theory, and actor-network theory to explore the journey that Litigants in Person take through the legal, cultural and social context of the family court. It provides fresh insight into the diverse challenges that people face within this process and how these relate to wider pressures within the family justice system. It argues that there are important lessons to be learned from Litigants in Person. By understanding how and why people come to the point of self-representing, and the kinds of experiences they have when they do, the book advocates the importance of forging a more positive and effective relationship between Litigants in Person and the family justice system.

Forensic Social Work

Forensic Social Work
Author: Tina Maschi, PhD, LCSW, ACSW
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
Total Pages: 559
Release: 2017-07-26
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0826120679

This extensively revised edition reviews the latest research and practices in forensic social work. Readers learn to integrate socio-legal knowledge when working with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Noted interdisciplinary contributors review the most common forensic issues encountered in the field to better prepare readers to deal with the resulting financial, psychological, emotional, and legal ramifications. Using a human rights and social justice approach, the book demonstrates the use of a forensic lens when working with individuals, families, organizations, and communities that struggle with social justice issues. Each chapter features objectives, competencies, Voices From the Field, a conclusion, exercises, and additional resources. The book is ideal for MSW and BSW courses in forensic social work as well as forensic/legal courses taught in criminal justice and psychology. Practitioners working in a variety of settings who must have a working knowledge of forensic social work will also appreciate this comprehensive overview of the field. Key Features: Highlights working with various populations such as minorities, immigrants, veterans, the elderly, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, substance abusers, trauma survivors, and more. Reviews the field’s conceptual and historical foundation and pertinent laws to better prepare readers for professional practice (Part I). Introduces the most common forensic issues encountered when working in various settings, including health care, social and protective services, the child welfare system, the criminal justice system, school systems, immigration services, addiction treatment facilities, and more (Part II). Provides a wealth of practical guidance via case studies and interviewing, assessment, and intervention tips. Voices From the Field written by seasoned practitioners introduce common situations readers are likely to encounter. New to this Edition: Highlights the 2015 Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Policies and Accreditation Standards throughout the text. Greatly expanded coverage from 26 to 33 chapters with more information on health care, housing, employment, the juvenile and criminal justice system, adult protective services, and the dynamics of oppression. New Part III dedicated t