"An absolute must for any mental health professional who does any custody related work, or any attorney who ever has, or might, handle a divorce case with contested custody!Phil Stahl is one of the most coherent, literate and useful writers in this area; he has the experience, the knowledge and a great way of telling it all so that it makes a great deal of sense. No library is complete without this title!", from Leslye Hunter, New Orleans, LA.

"Highly comprehensive work in the area of child custody evaluations. Not for lay people. Highly recommended for psychologists and a must for Family Law attorneys dealing with child custody determinations", from Douglas Stoodt, San Diego, CA.

Review by: Chris Emley, Attorney in San Francisco

In his second treatise on child custody evaluations, Philip Stahl has produced a handbook which every family lawyer, family law judge, and family court evaluator ought to read and keep for frequent reference.

Dr. Stahl covers the evaluator's task, from beginning to end, complete with theoretical underpinnings and practical tips. He reviews the literature on topics likely to arise in custody evaluations, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse allegations, residence relocation, and high-conflict families. Then he presents his own position on most of these issues, and then gives very specific case examples to illustrate his points and highlight complexities which sometimes elude family court scrutiny.

The chapter on child development will be particularly useful to lawyers and judges, who need timely reminders of the developmental hooks on which timeshare decisions should hang.

Stahl concentrates on meeting the needs of children of divorce, even when that clashes with many current political agendas (such as domestic violence prevention, or combating parental alienation). For instance, where Gardner would deprive every alienating parent of custody, Stahl chooses instead to highlight the unique and complex dynamics of each family. In concrete examples, he proposes solutions designed to minimize damage to each particular alienated child.

The book offers very specific suggestions for evaluators, such as lists of questions to ask when certain issues arise. These should inspire any evaluator, experienced or not. Any lawyer handling contested child custody cases could make good use of Stahl's definitive opinions and prescriptions; they'd provide effective questions to raise at settlement conferences or at trial.

The chapter on Sexual Abuse Allegations contributed by Theresa Schuman is extremely thorough and balanced. I could quibble with her reference to parental nudity around school-age children as "inappropriate," with her suggestion of polygraph exams for accused molesters, and her endorsement of (even a limited use of) anatomically correct dolls. I wish she had recommended videotaping interviews of children who may have been abused, or documenting the interview in some other fashion. But that chapter will be very helpful to novices and experts, alike.

The chapter on move-aways eventually reflects accurately current California law, but its first few pages could be misleading. In any event, one is well-advised to read the entire volume.

The description of high-conflict families, on pages 94-96, is all by itself worth the price of the book. I'd like to be able to copy those pages for many of my prospective clients. Some of them might actually recognize themselves, and see how their process injures their children. That chapter certainly enlightened me, with its sophisticated child-oriented analysis of high conflict families and its emphasis on least detrimental solutions to their problems.

Just as Dr. Stahl invited a contribution from Rosemary Vasquez on cultural issues, he might have asked a lawyer or judge to comment on legal issues and procedural points. But the book does contain valuable points on ethical puzzles, such as ex parte communications, confidentiality, and dual relationships; too many evaluators seem unaware of such questions. Another chapter, on preparing to testify, will be very helpful to the great mass of evaluators who rarely have to defend their reports.