Forensic Services
Special Master is the process of binding arbitration between parents who are locked into custody or visitation disputes. It may be ordered by the court or agreed upon by the parties when they are chronically unable to resolve issues such as exchanges, visitations, child-care or academic/medical decisions. Through this method parents can avoid recurring court appearances by submitting conflicts to a neutral third party assigned by the court to review the parties' concerns and make a recommendation to the judge.
As Special Master, I first encourage and facilitate communication between the parents on the issue to help them resolve the disagreements on their own. If this fails, I tell the parties of my decision on the subject and write up a recommendation to the court. Parents have ten days to file for a hearing to prevent this recommendation from becoming a court order.
This process can significantly reduce the conflicts between parents. It provides them with a setting where ideas can be exchanged with respect and where each has an opportunity to discover the rationale for the point of view of the other party. Finally, it provides for a quick mechanism for resolving co-parenting disputes.
Consultations to attorneys include review of evaluations, completed by other professionals, and assistance in the cross examination of witnesses. I also especially enjoy doing research and testifying about issues relevant to custody matters, such as attachment theory and a child's changing needs as he/she progresses through the stages of development.
Court directed services includes reunification therapy, co-parenting training, anger management training and parent education.
