ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the issues that arise when allegations of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are made in family law cases. When there are allegations of IPV, frequently mental health professionals (MHP) will become involved in cases as evaluators, mediators, consultants to attorneys or therapists for parents or children. It is critical that these MHPs have knowledge of the dynamics in these families, the psycholegal questions asked by the courts and the impact of violence on the children in these families. This chapter will explore types of violence found in families and the relationship between the type of violence and the implications for future risk. In addition to the influence of IPV on the development of parenting plans post-separation/post-divorce, the chapter will delineate other interventions that might be helpful to parents and children, through the use of several case examples. Thus, legal and psychological factors that need to be investigated, and the process for this investigation are explored. Since many of these families are involved in undergoing Child Custody Evaluations, the examples focus on the impact of violence, or allegations of violence, on children with some thoughts about protecting children.
