Deciding Child Custody
When There is Domestic Violence: A Benchbook for Pennsylvania Courts
(Revised
2/15/2008)
Jointly prepared and
published by the Women’s Law Project and the Support Center
for Child Advocates, this Benchbook has been
distributed to family law judges throughout Pennsylvania to assist them in making custody decisions
about children in families where there is domestic violence. The
Benchbook highlights and summarizes applicable Pennsylvania statutory provisions
and appellate decisions and includes recommendations from experts regarding both
procedural tools and evidentiary questions that will help ensure resolutions
to custody and visitation disputes that enhance the safety of victims while serving
the best interest of children. The Benchbook also includes relevant research
to help the court understand the complex impact family violence has on children
and to dispel common myths and stereotypes about domestic violence.
Deciding Child Custody When There
is Domestic Violence: A Benchbook for Pennsylvania Courts
Appendices:
A: Supervised Visitation
Centers
B: Sample Custody and Visitation
Order
C: Model Mediation Screening
Tool
D-1: Jeffrey L. Edleson, Problems
Associated with Children's Witnessing of Domestic Violence (1999)
D-2: John W. Fantuzzo
and Wanda K. Mohr, Prevalence and Effects
of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence in THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN (1999)
D-3: Marjory D. Fields, The
Impact of Spouse Abuse on Children and Its Relevance in Custody and Visitation
Decisions in New York
E: National Council of Nuvenile
and Family Court Judges, Navigating
Custody & Visitation Evaluations in Cases with Domestic Violence: A Judge's
Guide (2004, revised 2006)
F-1: PA Protection From
Abuse Act
F-2: PA Protection From
Abuse Rules
F-3: PA Custody Statute
F-4: PA Custody Rules
F-5: PA Uniform Child
Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act
F-6: PA General Domestic
Relations Rules
F-7: PA Custody Mediation
Rules |
