Alameda County Bar Association
Ethical Considerations for Family Law Attorneys Consulting With Mental Health Professionals
| Event Information |
| Provider: |
Alameda County Bar Association |
| Speakers: |
| Stuart Lord |
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| Location: |
Alameda County Bar Association
1000 Broadway, Suite 480
Oakland, CA 94607 |
| Phone: |
510-302-2222 |
| Date: |
01/24/2018
12:00 PM - 01:30 PM
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| Credits: |
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Ethical Considerations for Family Law Attorneys Consulting With Mental Health Professionals
More and more, family law attorneys are using mental health professionals to consult with them and their clients, particularly in cases involving child custody and visitation. Such consultations may take place prior to or during litigation and the processes of mediation and evaluation.
There are a variety of roles mental health professionals can assume in the family law system, many of which are specified and circumscribed by California law. The role of the mental health consultant, however, is not defined by law. Therefore, the rules that apply to such consultants are not clear. Some family law experts, including bench officers, have expressed concerns about the use of such consultants and the possible detrimental effects such consultation could have on evaluative and judicial processes, making the use of such consultants somewhat controversial.
This presentation will examine the various roles mental health professionals play in the family law system, the various roles mental health consultants can play, and ethical issues raised when mental health professionals act as consultants for family law attorneys and litigants.
Light lunch provided. If you have dietary restrictions, please plan to bring your own food.
Cost:
FREE for ACBA Members
$115 for Non Members
Please note: there will be a $10 administrative fee if you cannot make the program, and do not cancel in advance. A $10 fee will also be assessed for day-of and walk-in registrations.
If you have trouble registering, please contact the Membership Coordinator at staci@acbanet.org
Sponsored by:
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Speaker:
Stuart Lord, MFT
Stuart Lord has been licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist since 1980. For nearly 25 years before retiring in 2012 from Family Court Services of the Contra Costa County Superior Court, he worked as a child custody mediator, evaluator, and recommending counselor. During two leaves from the court, he lived in West Africa, where he served as a crisis intervention therapist and trainer with the US Peace Corps, a resource specialist and consultant at the International School of Niamey (Niger).
In his current private practice in Walnut Creek, he offers psychotherapy to adults, couples, and families, child custody mediation, co-parenting counseling, collaborative divorce coaching, and consultation to family law attorneys and litigants involved in child custody suits, recommending mediations, and evaluations.
