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Should Forensic Psychologists Make Custody Recommendations?
Forensic psychological assessments are often pivotal documents that can have a dramatic effect on the trajectory of a contested custody dispute and, ultimately, on the path a particular child's life will take post disposition. These documents are often eagerly awaited because of their potential value in providing leverage for one side over the other and for their capacity to settle cases – qualities derived from the frequent presence of a specific custodial recommendation in the report. Clients arrive at the clinician's office often feeling as if their lives are in the hands of the court-appointed expert. Forensic reports arrive in court as documents that represent the application of a behavioral “science” and there is therefore a common expectation that the recommendations will be weighted heavily because they will go beyond common public knowledge or subjective value choices. It is the recommendations section that is often read first by the consumers of the report because of its perceived impact.
Those who argue that it is appropriate for psychologists to make specific custody recommendations offer, among others, the following rationales: An important component of a best interests decision is the achievement of a family plan most likely to support a child's emotional health and happiness – and who better to make such an assessment than a doctor skilled at understanding the factors that promote healthy emotional functioning in children? What professional, among those involved with a divorcing family, is better equipped to evaluate a child's emotional and developmental needs? Others state that it is simply unrealistic to assume that judges – professionals primarily trained in matters of law – can competently analyze and weight the various issues related to the best interests of a child, issues that require a capacity to apply psychological knowledge. Judges need our recommendations because psychologists know how to understand children and families in a way that they do not.
Beach Boys Songs Written Decades Ago Triggered Current Quarrel With Lawyers
There's current litigation in the ongoing Beach Boys litigation saga. A lawsuit filed in 2019 against Nevada residents Mike Love and his wife Jacquelyne in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada that alleges inaccurate payment by the Loves under the retainer agreement and seeks $84.5 million in damages.
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws
This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.
Transfer Tax Implications on Real Property Leases
The real property transfer tax does not apply to all leases, and understanding the tax rules of the applicable jurisdiction can allow parties to plan ahead to avoid unnecessary tax liability.