April 19, 2024
At the Washington Athletic Club
Many thanks to everyone who participated!
Conference Description
Common errors found in child custody evaluations present threats to the reliability of expert testimony. Learn how to move from common errors to effective strategies in all phases of child custody assessment at the Washington AFCC Annual Conference on Friday, April 19, 2024, in Seattle.
Legal professionals, Psychologists, Masters-level mental health providers, GAL’s, Family Court officials and Court personnel, and our other collaborative partners supporting families in conflict are invited to attend this full-day discussion with Jonathan Gould, PhD, ABPP; Chris Mulchay, PhD; and David Starks, JD.
Child custody assessment is challenging, controversial, and continuously evolving. We’ll discuss the implementation of new ideas and/or old ideas through a new framework. This includes ideas not yet discussed in mainstream custody literature.
We’ll identify common fallacies about the role of a neutral, court-appointed evaluator. Several bias factors will be identified and ways to better control them will be presented.
Diversity, ethnic and culture factors have only recently been understood to influence a wide range of mental health activities associated with court-involved activities. We’ll discuss a variety of factors that might affect effective data gathering, data interpretation, and opinion formation. We’ll also raise questions about the generalizability of current, often-relied upon psychological research.
Take a deep dive into the changing dynamics of child custody assessment from a variety of perspectives.
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- Knowledge of the Law
- Knowledge of Professional and Scientific Literature
- Inadequate Factorial Analysis
- Failure to Take a Systematic Approach
- Failure to Account for and/or Control for Bias
- Misuse of Theory and Research
- Inadequate Investigation of Primary Issues of Concern to the Court
- Insufficient Analysis of Key Variables
- Misuse of Available Forensic Models
- Misuse of Psychological Testing
- Inadequate Development of Parenting Plan and Attention to Practical Analysis
About the Speakers
Jonathan Gould, PhD, ABPP [Forensic], consults with family law professionals on psychological and psycho-legal issues related to child custody matters. He has authored or co-authored seven books and more than 120 articles on issues related to psychological, ethical, and psycho-legal matters related to child custody.
Jon has been retained as a trial consultant in approximately 3,500 cases across the country—including approximately 2,200 work product reviews—and has assisted attorneys in their preparation of their witnesses for settlement conferences, evaluations, depositions, and trials in approximately 1,000 cases.
Chris Mulchay, PhD, is a psychologist based in North Carolina. He co-authored the American Bar Association’s Field Guide to High Conflict Litigation. He co-authored with Jon Gould the Child Custody Chapter in Oxford’s new Handbook of Psychology and Law.
Chris conducts child custody evaluations and provides consultation to attorneys. He and Jon are working on a new book on child custody for the American Psychological Association. Chris has also published in the field of pediatric neuropsychology. He has had the opportunity to present at AFCC and AAML conferences over the last few years on technology, social media, evidentiary issues, and tele-assessment.
David B. Starks is a Partner practicing in the Seattle office of McKinley Irvin, PLLC. His practice concentrates on divorce cases involving difficult custody matters as well as the protection, valuation, and distribution of significant assets or business interests.
David is a past Chair of the ABA International Law Section’s Family Law Committee and served as an ABA Section Advisor to the Drafting Committee for the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws as regards the Implementation of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children.
He is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and he is a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers. He has been designated by his peers as a Super Lawyer (top 100) in Thompson Reuters Washington Super Lawyers magazine and as one of The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Family Law.
Continuing Education
APA
This conference provides up to 6 hours of continuing education for psychologists. The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) parent organization is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AFCC maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
MCLE
The conference is eligible for up to 6 hours of continuing education. Course credits are pending approval by the Bar.
This training has been approved for 6 CEs for Washington State Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Social Workers. WMHCA Provider #1613.
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