The Big Island of Hawaii will pro-vide a spectacular setting for the

39th Annual AFCC Conference, June5-8, 2002 at the Hilton WaikoloaVillage. The conference theme is Look-ing Over the Rim: New Horizons forFamilies, Courts and Communities andparticipants will be attending fromIsrael, New Zealand, Australia, Japan,Hong Kong, Canada, the United Statesand other countries of the world.

If the opportunity to visit one of themost beautiful spots on earth is notenough to have you packing yourbags, consider the exciting line up ofmore than fifty plenary sessions, work-shops and pre-conference institutes.

The conference will open Wednes-day evening, June 5, with Dr. JoanKelly and Dr. Robert Emery taking alook at “Resiliency in Children ofDivorce.” Thursday’s plenary sessionwill be a round table discussion revis-iting the celebrated grandparentvisitation case Troxel v. Granville. Thesession will feature Catherine Smith,J.D., who argued the case before theUnited States Supreme Court. Friday’splenary will feature experts in familylaw reform looking at what the futurebrings for family courts and profes-sionals. Participants will includeConstance Ahrons, Ph.D., author, TheGood Divorce; Susan M. Chandler,Ph.D., Director of the Hawaii Depart-ment of Human Services; WilliamHowe, J.D., Co-chair of Oregon’sStatewide Family Law Advisory Com-

mittee; Justice Stephen O’Ryan, Family Court of Australia andAndrew Schepard, J.D., Professor of Law at Hofstra Law Schooland editor of the Family Court Review.

More than 40 workshops highlight the conference program:

• Play Therapy in Custody Evaluations

• Clearing up Confusion Between Confidentiality and Privilege

• Alienation, Undermining and Obstruction: A Field Guide forProfessionals

• Assessing and Allocating Legal Custody

• Including Children in the Mediation Process

• Reconnecting Children with AbsentParents

• High Conflict, Low Budgets: DoingMore with Less

• Long Distance Parenting: Policyand Technology Issues

• Ohana Conferencing

• Gender, Custody andCommunication

The AFCC Judicial Officers InterestGroup is pleased to sponsor its AnnualJudicial Officers Forum, where judicialofficers have the opportunity to attenda workshop followed by networkingwith colleagues from around the world.This year’s topic will be The Art andScience of Judgment Writing.

In addition to an outstandingprogram, AFCC will offer ample oppor-tunities for networking and enjoying thewonderful Hilton Waikoloa Village.

AFCC’s Silent Auction takes placeFriday, June 7. The bidding will beopen from 5:00pm-7:00pm. Auctionitems will include a round of golf for twoat one of Waikoloa’s championshipcourses, private tennis lessons,snorkel cruise and much more. Auctionproceeds benefit the AFCC KidsCount Club to fund the AFCC YouthForum, conference scholarships andthe AFCC Kids Count Club Award. Allconference registrants will be enteredinto a drawing for a Sunset Cruise fortwo, courtesy of Red Sail Sports. Thewinning name will be drawn at theAFCC Silent Auction. Be sure to attendbecause you must be present to win!

AFCC has negotiated a very favorable guest room rate of $150per night, single or double room, for conference registrants at theHilton Waikoloa. For those interested in spending additional timesightseeing, the AFCC group rate is available from May 30-June13, 2002 on a space available basis. Make your reservations earlyby calling the Hilton at 1-800 HILTONS (800-445-8667) or (808)886-1234. Be sure to mention AFCC to assure the $150 group rate.

AFCC is also planning a post-conference trip to Australia and NewZealand. For more information, please see pages 6-7 or contactBurkhalter Travel at (800) 556-9286 or (608) 833-6968, ext. 251 orvisit the conference page of the AFCC website at afcc@afccnet.org.

AFCC 39th Annual Conference: Big Island, Big Event

VOLUME 21, NUMBER 1 An association of family, court and community professionals WINTER 2002

Catherine Smith, J.D.

Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D.

Robert E. Emery, Ph.D.

Hon. Stephen O’Ryan

Hon. Frances Wong

Constance Ahrons,Ph.D.

In February the AFCC Board of Directorsmet in New York City to conduct strate-

gic planning. As the meetings progressedand we discussed the future goals anddirections of AFCC, several themes werediscussed, the most notable of which wasthe expansion of what was once labeled“domestic relations” law. It has becomeincreasingly obvious, as one of my col-leagues recently commented, “asprofessionals working in the area of familylaw, we now work with clients from wombto tomb.”

We have seen cases involving a surro-gate mother, in vitro fertilization, artificialinsemination, unmarried parents or adop-tions from within a family or from outside thecountry. We work with families dealing withthe special challenges associated with chil-dren being raised by two mothers or fathersas the result of one parent changing his orher gender. As professionals, we try to ame-liorate the effects of high conflict divorce orseparations upon children and their parentsand we try to resolve disputes between

teenagers and their parents or other author-ity figures which manifest themselves indelinquency or unruly cases. We attempt toresolve conflicts between parents resultingfrom one parent making a move to a loca-tion away from the other parent. Finally,many of us are now entering the realm ofassisting our clients in making decisions forelderly parents or other relatives and inresolving disputes between adult childrenwho have differing opinions about what isbest for mom or dad. All of these cases pre-sent new and different challenges to afamily and to the professionals working withfamily members.

Through this, our jobs have becomemore complex, more demanding and moretime consuming. We find we need bettereducation and more professional support.

As the board completed its strategicplanning, it became apparent that we see alarger role for AFCC in providing continuingeducation and training for professionals inthe expanding field of family law boththrough AFCC’s conferences and alsothrough instructional opportunities at alocal level. As the board continues itsstrategic planning process and searches forways to assist you as practitioners, we inviteyour comments and concerns about thesenew directions.

AFCC’s upcoming 39th Annual Confer-ence, Looking Over the Rim: New Horizonsfor Families, Courts and Communities,emphasizes many of the changes in familylaw noted during the board’s strategic plan-ning process. We hope that you will join usfrom June 5-8, 2002, at the Hilton WaikoloaResort on the Big Island of Hawaii and bea part of what will be an extraordinaryopportunity to learn about the new anddifferent issues that confront all of us on adaily basis.

2 AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

AFCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PresidentDenise McColley, M.Ed., J.D. Napoleon, OH

President ElectJan Shaw Orange, CA

Vice President/SecretaryHon. George Czutrin Hamilton, ON

TreasurerLarry Lehner, Ph.D. Oakland, CA

Past PresidentHon. Arline Rotman (ret.) Boston, MA

Robert Barrasso, J.D., Tucson, AZCarole Brown, Ph.D, Sydney, AustraliaDoneldon Dennis, Minneapolis, MNHon. Linda Dessau, Melbourne, AustraliaMary Ferriter, Boston, J.D., MALaDeanna Gamble, M.S.W., Las Vegas, NVHon. Ross Goodwin, Quebec City, PQR. John Harper, LL.B., Hamilton, ONLeslye Hunter, M.A., New Orleans, LAMichele MacFarlane, M.S.W., Toledo, OHC. Eileen Pruett, J.D., Columbus, OHPatricia Ross, Dallas, TXHon. Hugh Starnes, Fort Meyers, FLJanet Walker, Ph.D, Newcastle, England

AFCC Executive DirectorMs. Ann MilneMadison, Wisconsin

AFCC NEWSLETTERVol. 21. No. 1

EditorPeter Salem

Associate EditorBob Jordan

Published by AFCC6515 Grand Teton Plaza, Suite 210Madison, WI 53719-1048Tel: (608) 664-3750Fax: (608) 664-3751E-mail: afcc@afccnet.orgWeb: www.afccnet.org

The AFCC Newsletter is a publication ofAFCC, an association of family, court andcommunity professionals. The newsletter ispublished four times a year. Deadlines fornews items and advertising are March 1,June 1, September 1, and December 1.Advertising copy must be camera readyand payment made in U.S. funds.

Advertising Rates:Full page (7 1/2” x 10”) . . . . . . . . . . $400Half page (7 1/2” x 4 7/8”) . . . . . . . $300Quarter page (3 5/8” x 4 7/8”) . . . . . $175

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

AFCC Executive Director to Leave June 2003

Ann Milne has announced that she will be leaving her position as AFCC ExecutiveDirector at the conclusion of the administrative contract June 30, 2003. Ann has

served as Executive Director since 1989 and has been a member of AFCC since 1972.Prior to being retained as Executive Director, Ann served on the AFCC Board ofDirectors for 11 years and as Secretary of the Board for ten years.

“Serving as Executive Director has been very rewarding. It’s been very gratifying tosee AFCC grow from an organization of 800 members to nearly 2,000 members. I’mvery proud of the staff and the quality of AFCC’s conferences and the positive feedbackwe receive from conference attendees. Serving as the Secretariat for the Second WorldCongress on Family Law and the Rights of Children and Youth was one of my mostchallenging as well as rewarding experiences. I’ve been a Life Member longer thanI’ve been AFCC Executive Director. I’m looking forward to contributing to theorganization in other ways.”

Ann will continue to manage her business, Ann L. Milne & Associates, Ltd. providingtraining, consulting and mediation services and finishing the forthcoming edition of thebook Mediating Family and Divorce Disputes: Current Practices and Applications.

The AFCC Board has appointed an Organizational Task Force to preparerecommendations to the Board regarding the next administrative structure. Task ForceMembers include: Denise McColley, Jan Shaw, Hon. George Czutrin, Larry Lehner,Hon. Arline Rotman (ret.) and Leslye Hunter.

Denise Herman McColleyNapoleon, Ohio

3AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

Robert E. Emery, Ph.D., from Char-lottesville, Virginia is a longstanding

AFCC member and an internationally rec-ognized researcher, teacher, author andpsychologist. Dr. Emery is Professor ofPsychology at the University of Virginia,Director of the Psychology Department’sClinical Training Program, Director of theCenter for Children, Family and the Lawand a practicing clinical psychologist.

Dr. Emery has authored and co-authoredfive books including Marriage, Divorce andChildren’s Adjustment and RenegotiatingFamily Relationships, which has been trans-lated into Italian. He has served as aconsultant to many organizations and agen-cies including the Supreme Court ofVirginia, the Charlottesville Juvenile andDomestic Relations District Court and mostrecently the forthcoming Sesame Streetpublication, Big Bird Learns About Divorce.

Dr. Emery was born in Athol, Massachu-setts and earned his B.A. at BrownUniversity and his M.A. and Ph.D. at StateUniversity of New York at Stony Brook. Heis married to Kimberly, a lawyer, and is thefather to five children between 16 monthsand 19 years of age. Dr. Emery’s forth-coming book is tentatively titled The TruthAbout Children and Divorce and is sched-uled to be released by Viking Penguin in2003. Dr. Emery and Dr. Joan Kelly willpresent the opening session at AFCC’s 39thAnnual Conference, June 5-8, 2002 on theBig Island of Hawaii.

AFCC: The impact of divorce on childrenhas once again become a headline topic inthe last year or two. You’ve been looking atthe issue for nearly two decades. Whatchanges are you seeing over that time?

RE: I think that the biggest change is moretechnical than substantive. The researchmethodology has become more sophisti-cated over the years so we now havegreater levels of confidence in our findings.

AFCC: Have the findings themselveschanged?

RE: In my view the findings have notchanged, however, I have developed agreater appreciation for some of the sub-tleties. There remains no question that theoverwhelming weight of literature tells usthat most children are resilient in coping withthe many stresses they encounter as theresult of divorce. But I have gained a greaterappreciation for the fact that even success-ful coping extracts some costs for children.This includes the more subtle emotionalcosts that children incur. I would label it painrather than pathology.

AFCC: How can parents identify andaddress the pain their children experience?

RE: It can be very difficult for a parent oreven a clinician to identify a child’s pain. Infact, it is hard for children to identify the pain.Often they are unable to use words todescribe painful thoughts and feelings untilthey’ve grown older and have the intellec-tual, verbal and emotional intelligence to doso. Even the well-functioning children lookback and report emotional struggles, butmost children do not have problems outsideof the normal realm of childhood problems.Children will have pain, but that is not nec-essarily bad. If someone dies, we want toallow our children to grieve. We need to rec-ognize and appreciate and allow their griefover the loss of their parents’ marriage. Aschildren get older they may become sad ina more abstract sense. They are not cryinghysterically, but simply wishing that thingscould be different. One of the best ways toidentify those problems is when youngadults look back and talk about the thingsthat have made them unhappy.

AFCC: Is there anything parents can do toease their children’s pain?

RE: The answer may be that there is notmuch parents can do. But perhaps it’s okayto allow a child to have pain and to be thereto help because the parents are a part ofwhy the child is hurting. That doesn’t meanthere are not things parents can do to helptheir children. The research shows over andover that the behavior of parents after theyseparate is most important. It is clear thatthe best situation for children is a happy two-parent family but if that option is closed outit isn’t like the story is over.

AFCC: How can parents best help their chil-dren adjust?

RE: There are four key factors that seem tobe associated with positive post-separationadjustment. First, that the children have agood relationship—one with love, disciplineand structure—with at least one parent.

Second, that there be a consistent relation-ship with the other parent. Third, that thereis a cooperative relationship between the par-ents and that they are able to keep theirchildren out of the middle of conflict. Andfourth, some degree of economic stability. Ithink that the most positive change comeswhen both parents realize that they are stillparents after they separate.

AFCC: We put significant emphasis on thechildren, but what about the impact of sep-aration and divorce on their parents?

RE: Based on clinical experience I think thatdivorce is sometimes harder on parentsthan it is on kids. I think we make a big mis-take if we simply tell parents to get alongwithout recognizing, appreciating and vali-dating their legitimate hurt and anger. Butthey do need to get along. I’ve done a lot ofdivorce mediation over the years and oneof the huge tasks of mediation is to get par-ents to get beyond their ownunderstandable and painful emotion tofocus on the children’s needs.

AFCC: How do you accomplish that?

RE: I try to help parents understand thatthey need to separate their roles as part-ners, and the associated feelings, fromtheir ongoing role as parents. Parents mayhave a lot of anger, but I think that anger isoften a surface emotion and we need to lookat the hurt, grief and fear beneath thesurface. Anger is real, but emotional angercan often block co-parenting. In my 12-yearstudy of litigating parents who were ran-domly assigned to mediation, we found thatparents who mediated had much better co-parenting experiences. The non-residentialparents were involved in more areas of theirchildren’s lives and they spent much moretime with their children than their counter-parts in the comparison group.

AFCC: Given the ongoing debate about theimpact of divorce on children, the tentativetitle for your forthcoming book, The TruthAbout Children and Divorce, seems verybold. Is there really a “truth” about childrenand divorce?

RE: I can tell you that the truth is much morethan a sound bite and it is unfortunate thatvery often our work is reduced to just that.It is important that we are aware of the forestand the trees, and we can’t seem to do that.I know, that’s a sound bite too. What I meanis that we need to recognize that most chil-dren are resilient and that is the forest. Thatstatement is supported by the research. Atthe same time, we need to recognize thechildren and the pain that they experience.They are the trees and that type of infor-mation has been difficult to document usingempirical methods but it is very real.

CONVERSATION CORNER

Dr. Robert Emery

Dr. Robert Emery

AFCC New Jersey Chapter is Chartered

The New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Family and Con-ciliation Courts was presented its Chapter Charter at AFCC’s

Northeast Regional Conference, March 18, 2002 at the New YorkerHotel.

New Jersey becomes the fourth AFCC Chapter along with Ari-zona, California and Massachusetts. Provisional Chapters workingtoward their charters are in place in Florida and Texas.

The New Jersey Chapter was formed in 1998 and granted pro-visional status in 1999. The chapter now has 55 members. Thechapter has developed a Bill of Rights for Children in DissolutionActions and members have made presentations on behalf of NewJersey’s Institute for Continuing Legal Education. In November, thechapter will be co-sponsoring the third annual conference on “Psy-chologists and Lawyers Working Together.”

New Jersey Chapter President Dr. Ronald Silikovitz said, “Withenthusiasm, gratitude, and anticipation, we hope that the work ofour members may make a real difference in helping families in NewJersey resolve differences amicably.”

For further information regarding the New Jersey chapter pleasecontact Dr. Silikovitz at (973) 736-2424.

California Chapter Annual Conference:Crossroads for Courts, Professions and Families

by Leslie Ellen Shear, J.D., Encino, CA

AFCC California Chapter members gathered February 8-10,2002 at the Lodge at Sonoma in the heart of the Northern Cal-

ifornia wine country for their annual chapter conference. Theconference theme was Crossroads: In the Courts, Our Professionsand Our Families. Outgoing President Bobby Vincent and incom-ing President Don Eisenberg served as masters of ceremonies forthe events.

Friday’s half-day pre-conference institutes on domestic violence,substance abuse and alienation attracted large audiences. Dr.Michael Fraga presented a workshop which explored the tensionsbetween the law’s friendly parent doctrine and its policy of protectingchildren from domestic violence. The panel members includedDr. David Smith, Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic; Millicent Buxton,addiction counselor; Jeanne T. Ames, mediator-special master-con-sultant, former San Francisco Family Court Services director;Nordin F. Blacker, family lawyer; and Marjorie A. Slabach, familylaw commissioner. The presenters discussed how addictionsimpact families. Physician Graeme Hanson and Bay area psy-chologists Nancy Oleson, Majorie Walters, Steve Friedlander andMargaret Lee presented case studies in alienation.

Saturday morning’s opening plenary on Attachment and Traumafeatured faculty from the University of San Francisco. John Siko-rski, M.D. lectured on the neurobiology of attachment and trauma.Alicia Lieberman, Ph.D. discussed the impact of domestic violenceon children’s attachments. Patricia J. Van Horn, J.D., Ph.D.explored the implications for child custody and visitation of domes-tic violence and attachment.

Saturday workshops addressed interventions for high-conflictfamilies, applying a family conferencing model developed in depen-dency court to family court, interdisciplinary collaboration insupervised visitation for high conflict families and implementationof California’s new rule of court governing education, experienceand training for child custody evaluators.

Sunday began with a legal update by attorney Garrett C. Dailey,publisher of Attorney’s Briefcase. Commissioner Bobby Vincentreported on events in California’s Judicial Council affecting family

courts. Pauline Tesler, author of the new American Bar Associa-tion book on collaborative law, introduced conference goers to thisnew paradigm for the divorce process. Physician Linda HawesClever presented a closing plenary entitled, “Thriving, Not Just Sur-viving.” Clever is president of “Renew,” an organization designedto help people who are committed to their professions, their fami-lies and the pursuit of excellence maintain their balance.

The California Chapter conference was planned by AFCC-CALmembers Susan King, Larry Lehner and Jeanne T. Ames, with theassistance of conference administrator Paula Jackson. Next yearthe California Chapter’s annual conference will return to thePasadena Doubletree Hotel in February 2003, followed by a returnto the Lodge at Sonoma in 2004.

AFCC Massachusetts ChapterConference

Giving Voice to Children in the Court is the theme of the AFCCMassachusetts Chapter Conference scheduled for May 3,

2002 at the Northeastern University Law School in Boston, MA.The conference will feature Vivienne Roseby, Ph.D., co-author

with Janet Johnston of the widely acclaimed book In the Name ofthe Child. Dr. Roseby will speak on “Warring Parents: Compro-mising the Development of Their Children.” Members of therespondent panel include David Doolittle, Psy.D., Hon. Gail Pearl-man and Gary O. Todd, J.D. Robin Deutsch, Ph.D. will serve asthe moderator. For further information about the 2002 AFCC Mass-achusetts Chapter Conference please email arliner@aol.com.

Children’s Issues Highlighted atArizona Chapter Conference

by Fred Mitchell, Ph.D., Tucson, AZ

AFCC Arizona Chapter held its Annual Conference in Sedona,AZ, February 8-10, 2002. The conference was entitled,

Developing a Child-Centered Approach to Custody Disputes andfeatured author, researcher and teacher, Donald T. Saposnek.

Dr. Saposnek opened the conference on Friday with a stimulat-ing presentation on the importance of child temperament variablesin crafting parenting plans and optimizing outcomes for children infamily law cases. On Saturday, he expanded on his openingremarks by defining the important interactions between child-spe-cific variables and attachment. As a bonus, Dr. Saposnek held aspecial topic workshop on special needs children and how courtsand court-connected social services can help parents to addresstheir unique concerns.

Several other offerings at the conference highlighted the some-times missing voice of children in family courts, including a rivetingpresentation on the damage experienced by children who witnessdomestic violence, a workshop on therapeutic interventions, novelapproaches to conciliation counseling and new methods for inter-viewing child victims of abuse and molestation.

The Arizona Chapter was honored by the presence of Interna-tional AFCC President, Magistrate Denise McColley, former AFCCPresident Phil Bushard and AFCC Board Member Michele Mac-Farlane. Magistrate McColley spoke at Saturday’s luncheon on theimportant work of the AFCC Resource Development Campaign.Spurred by her comments, the Arizona Chapter voted unanimouslyto donate $500 to the Kids Count Club.

The conference closed with an Arizona Chapter tradition: A panelof expert stakeholders in the family law arena discussing the criti-cal role of the family court in a changing world. This year’s panel

4 AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

AFCC Chapter Update

Continued on page 9

5AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

by Hon. Arline S. Rotman (ret.), AFCCPast President, Boston, MA

What excitement! A group of intrepidtravelers met at Logan Airport in the

wee hours of the morning of November 5,2001 ready for our Cuban adventure. ACuban American judge had organized ajudicial exchange with members of theCuban legal community interested in familylaw. We traveled via Jamaica (since directflights to Cuba are not allowed) on a permitissued by the Treasury Department.

Arriving in Havana only hours before thehurricane, we transferred directly to thefamous Hotel Nacional. Our group includedAFCC members Hon. Sean Dunphy, ChiefJustice of the Massachusetts Probate andFamily Court and Linda Cavallero, Ph.D.,Director of the Worcester Family Court Clinicat the University of Massachusetts MedicalCenter. Guide books in hand, we ignored thehurricane winds for as long as we could andset out to explore the old city of Havana.Looking at the 1950’s vintage automobileswe felt as if we were in a time warp. Unableto purchase new cars, the Cubans maintainand rebuild the pre-revolution cars whichremain on the island. We were struck by thebeauty of the architecture much of which isundergoing major restoration. Cuba isclearly planning to attract an increasednumber of tourists since many buildings arebeing rehabilitated as hostels or small hotels.We heard the wonderful sound of Cubanmusic everywhere.

We were evicted from the room in whichwe were scheduled to have our first meet-ing and later learned that it was being usedby Fidel Castro and a Chinese delegationheaded by the Vice President of China.When word got out that Castro was comingthrough the lobby we crowded together andwaited patiently for a glimpse of the leg-endary figure. I must admit that hispresence was electrifying.

In talking with Cubans, we came awaybelieving that Castro continues to have gen-eral support. The Cubans we met seem tohave separated Americans, whom they like,from the United States, which they do not.The Museum of the Revolution sets out theCuban triumph over an American Imperial-ist policy that served only the needs of theAmerican people. Our current policy towardCuba does not seem to weaken support forCastro, but does impact severely on thepeople of Cuba. The shortage of food,medicine and decent housing is deplorable.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, theCuban economy suffered a serious decline.The government has since experimentedwith limited forms of private enterprise. Forexample, people can sell their own art andcraft products but cannot employ anyoneother than a family member to sell theirwares. They pay a tax to the government forwhatever they sell. Until recently, all

restaurants were owned by the government.There are now small private restaurantswith limited seating, but these restaurantsare not allowed to sell meat because it is inshort supply. A U.S. dollar economy hasdeveloped for tourists only. Hotels andstores available to tourists deal in dollarsonly. People working in the tourist industrywho receive tips in dollars, or Cubans withfamilies in America who send them money,are better off than those whose wages arepaid in Cuban pesos.

Among health care providers it is gener-ally felt that the Cuban system of health caredelivery is exemplary. Unfortunately theysuffer from a severe shortage of drugs.Linda Cavallero and her husband donateda large quantity of medications to a psychi-atric hospital. Others in the group broughtaspirin, Tylenol and other common over-the-counter medicines which are nototherwise generally available in Cuba.

Cubans have an extremely high literacyrate since all children go to government runschools. Free milk is available until childrenreach the age of seven. After that, the short-age of food must be as difficult for them asit is for others. One woman told us that sheand her family had not had any meat formore than one year.

Housing presents more complex issues.Although everyone is entitled to housing,the critical shortage of housing stock leavesmany Cubans living in deplorable condi-tions. Substandard structures are dividedand subdivided so that there is often a lackof privacy and personal space. Upondivorce, if separate suitable housing cannotbe found for the parent without custody, thehousing is further subdivided and everyonestays in place.

Although many of the problems that weface in our family court are similar to thosein Socialist Cuba, the differences are strik-ing. Since everyone is entitled to legalrepresentation, they do not have the prob-lem of unrepresented litigants. Law firmsare organized by the government and havestandardized predetermined chargesdepending upon the type of case. A lawyer’sremuneration has nothing to do with theamount of money that a litigant pays. Wewere told that compensation depends onthe number and complexity of the cases.We visited a law firm which seemed to meto look much like a legal services office.

Many of the problems which clog ourcourt dockets are not problems for theCubans since they are dealt with by Neigh-borhood Associations rather than thecourts. These associations exist on everystreet and are the arbiters of neighborhooddisagreements. If a child is misbehaving,the committee will talk to the family andattempt to resolve the dispute. Custody isalmost always given to the mother unlessshe is unfit. Since there is no private prop-erty, there is no need for property divisionupon divorce.

The profession of judge is different fromthat of lawyer. One picks a professionaltrack upon graduation from school. The gov-ernment determines how many new lawyersor judges they need in a given year. Grad-uates apply for the position and the slots arethen filled with the students with the high-est grades.

Overall, the trip provided us with muchfood for thought. It would be wonderful if wecould take the best from both systems andleave the problems behind.

International Congresson Family Law Travelsto Cuba

The Association of the Bar of the Cityof New York (ABCNY) is sponsoring a

United States delegation to the XII Interna-tional Conference on Family Law in Havana,Cuba September 22-27, 2002. The confer-ence is entitled, Family Rights and theChallenges of the New Millennium. It willprovide an opportunity for judges, lawyers,academic and mental health professionalsto exchange ideas about challenging familylaw issues.

The ABCNY will organize the U.S. Dele-gation, coordinate panel presentations andserve as liaison for travel arrangements.The U.S. Delegation will depart from NewYork City. The cost of the trip is expectedto be approximately $2,500 and includes air,hotel, ground transportation and a cocktailreception. Registration fee for the Congressis additional.

The ABCNY organizing committee isseeking expressions of interest in attendingthe Congress. If you are interested in addi-tional information, please contact:

Harold A. Mayerson, Esq.Chair, Subcommittee on XII

International CongressCommittee on Matrimonial LawAssociation of the Bar of the City of

New YorkP: (212) 685-7474F: (212) 685-1176Email: Hmayerson@nymatlaw.com

Additional Thanks toCanadian Judges

In the last AFCC Newsletter we noted thatthe Canadian Judicial Council has autho-

rized funding for twenty Federal Judges toattend AFCC’s 39th Annual Conference,June 5-8, 2002 in Hawaii and thanked theHon. Madam Justice Heather Smith, JudicialCouncil Executive Director Jeanne Thomasand AFCC members Hon. George Czutrinand Hon. Emile Kruzick for their role in facil-itating this support. We add our thanks nowto Justices Mary Noonan, Ross Goodwinand Raymond Guerette for their assistance.

AFCC Members Travel to Cuba

6 AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

Join AFCC on this fabulous 10-day trip to the North and SouthIslands of New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

New Zealand Family Court Chief Justice Patrick Mahony and Aus-tralia Family Court Chief Justice Alastair Nicholson will be servingas local hosts in their respective countries.

The tour will depart Saturday evening June 8, 2002 following theconclusion of the AFCC Annual Conference on the Big Island ofHawaii and conclude June 18, 2002 in Cairns, Australia, the siteof the world famous Great Barrier Reef. Optional tour extensionsto Sydney, Ayres Rock and other locations may be added to thetour package. The tour package price of $2,995 includes:

• Roundtrip airfare from Honolulu to Auckland, Auckland toQueenstown, Queenstown to Christchurch, Christchurchto Cairns and Cairns to Honolulu

• All hotel accommodations in Auckland, Queenstown,Christchurch and at the Great Barrier Reef conference site

• Daily Breakfasts

• Dinner in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Cairns

• City tour of Auckland including admission to the Auckland Skytower

• New Zealand South Island Milford Sound Day Cruise, including lunch

• City tour of Christchurch including Tram Pass

• Full day Great Barrier Reef Ocean Spirit Cruise, including lunch

• All airport, hotel and sightseeing transfers

• Local English speaking greeters in New Zealand and Australia,driver/guide in New Zealand and Australia.

• Taxes and gratuities on included items.

Items not included: AFCC/Australia Symposium-separate fee(see below), items of a personal nature (passport/visa, phone calls,etc.), airport departure taxes, meals other than listed above, sight-seeing other than listed above.

For the full tour brochure and to sign up for the travel packagecontact Burkhalter Travel Group Department, (608) 833-6968or (800) 556-9286 ext. 251, 255, 254, or 250 or go to the AFCCwebsite at www.afccnet.org and click on conferences.

AFCC Goes Down UnderPost-Conference Tour to New Zealand and Australia • June 8-18, 2002

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Number ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Expiration ________ /________ /________

Symposium cancellations received after May 15, 2002 will be assessed a $20 administrative fee.

AFCC/Australia Symposium June 15-16, 2002Hon. Alastair Nicholson, Chief Justice of the Family Court ofAustralia, is inviting all tour participants to join members of theAustralia Family Court Association June 15-16 in Cairns atthe Marriott Palm Cove for two days of professional dialogue,networking and hospitality. A separate conference registrationfee of $165 per person will include lunch on Saturday andSunday, dinner Saturday night, Sunday evening cocktail partyand barbeque, morning and afternoon breaks and conferencematerials. A spouse/guest registration of $90 includes allsocial events.

AFCC is pleased to announce plans for the post-conferencetrip to New Zealand and Australia. An enormous amount of

interest has been expressed. The trip will depart Honolulu on June8, 2002, the final day of the AFCC 39th Annual Conference andreturn from Australia on June 18. The itinerary for this trip will keepeven the most active travelers busy.

Saturday, June 8, 2002: Depart Honolulu by air and cross the Inter-national Dateline en route to Auckland, New Zealand.

Monday, June 10, 2002: Arrive New Zealand. You’ll be met by arepresentative of Southern World New Zealand who will introduceyou to your driver. Depart on a sightseeing tour of Auckland cityincluding the Auckland War Museum, where there is one of the bestMaori Artifact collections in the South Pacific, and Auckland’s Sky-tower for views of the city and harbor before checking into yourhotel. This evening enjoy dinner at the Harbourside Restaurantlocated on Auckland’s waterfront. Overnight stay at The HeritageHotel, Auckland.

Tuesday, June 11, 2002: Auckland-Queenstown. Following break-fast at the hotel, your time is free until you are transferred toAuckland airport for your flight to Queenstown. Nestled on theshores of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a year-round alpine resortthat enjoys a magnificent setting amid steep mountain ranges andpockets of native bush with the jagged peaks of the RemarkablesRange rising from the lake. The town is compact enough to travelaround on foot. On arrival in Queenstown you will be met by aSouthern World representative who will assist you with any optionalsightseeing you would like to schedule. You will then be transferredto your hotel. This evening, a delightful dinner at The SkylineRestaurant, just a few minutes from your hotel. Overnight in lakeview rooms at The Heritage Hotel, Queenstown.

Wednesday, June 12, 2002: Milford Day Tour. After breakfast,leave Queenstown and skirt Lake Wakatipu until you arrive at thetownship of Five Rivers. Once you reach the highest point in thehills, you’ll see magnificent views of the mountains of Fjordland tothe north, south and west. After a few miles the wide panorama ofLake Te Anau comes into view. On your journey you will see amagnificent beech forest, sheer rock faces, and towering, ruggedmountains, until the road comes out into the open at Milford Sound.Formed thousands of years ago during the ice ages, Milford Soundis the northernmost fjord in Fjordland National Park and is, withoutdoubt, the most dramatic. Enjoy a nature cruise on the fjord and apicnic lunch before returning to Queenstown. Weather permitting,there will be an optional flightseeing return to Queenstown. Yourtour host will have details if you wish to choose this option. Thisflight is considered one of the most scenic experiences in the world.Overnight at the Heritage Hotel, Queenstown.

Thursday, June 13, 2002: Queenstown-Christchurch. After break-fast you will have some time to enjoy on your own until you transferto the airport for your flight to Christchurch. On arrival, you will bemet by your driver who will transfer you to your hotel. Dependingon flight times, a city tour will be done upon arrival or the followingmorning. Your tour includes the Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum,a visit to the Mona Vale Gardens, one of Christchurch’s most beau-tiful gardens. Tonight, a delightful dinner at the award-winningAnnie’s Wine Bar & Restaurant, specializing in Canterbury and NewZealand boutique wines (wine and beverages at own expense). Fol-lowing dinner, return to your hotel by coach. Overnight in deluxerooms at Rydges Hotel, Christchurch.

Friday, June 14, 2002: Christchurch-Cairns. After your breakfast,transfer to the airport where Southern World New Zealand will

provide assistance for your check-in procedures. Upon arrival inCairns and following the completion of your customs formalities, youwill be met by a representative from Southern World Australia andtransferred by private coach from the International airport to yourhotel in Palm Cove. Cairns, Queensland’s most northerly city, hastree-lined streets, excellent shopping and good restaurants. The cityis surrounded by lush sub-tropical rainforests, and to the north andsouth are miles of white sandy beaches and turquoise oceans filledwith technicolor fish. Beyond Cairns there are excellent coastalresorts such as Mission Beach, Palm Cove and Port Douglas, andDaintree Rainforest hideaways like Silky Oaks. Overnight in gardenview rooms at Courtyard by Marriott Palm Cove.

Saturday, June 15, 2002: Start the day with breakfast at your hotel,then your choice of a two-day AFCC/Australia Symposium (addi-tional cost of $165 per person) or a full day at leisure. Overnight ingarden view rooms at Courtyard by Marriott.

Sunday, June 16, 2002: Breakfast at your hotel, then day two ofAFCC/Australia Symposium or second full day at leisure. Overnightin garden view rooms at Courtyard by Marriott.

Monday, June 17, 2002: Cruise of Michaelmas Cay and the GreatBarrier Reef. Breakfast at your hotel, followed by an Ocean SpiritMichaelmas Cay Cruise. Transfer from your hotel to Cairns MarlinMarina to board your catamaran “Ocean Spirit” to Michaelmas Cayat the edge of the outer barrier reef. Spend a leisurely day on theCay, take a ride in the semi-submersible or try snorkeling in theclear waters which reveal the magic of tropical waters and theirinhabitants. Lunch is provided onboard the vessel. Return to Cairnsand transfer to your hotel late this afternoon. Dinner tonight at yourhotel. Overnight in garden view rooms at Courtyard by Marriott.

Tuesday, June 18, 2002: Transfer by private coach from your hotelto Cairns International Airport where you will board your flight home.A representative from Southern World Australia will assist withdeparture formalities.

Tour cost per person is $2,995 double, (single supplement $291).Ask about extensions to Ayers Rock (three nights at $998 perperson double, $1,274 single) and Sydney (three nights at $660per person double, $891 single).

ICCFR Conference in Sydney

The International Commission on Couple and Family Rela-tionships will hold its annual conference June 17-20, 2002 at

the All Seasons Premier Menzies Hotel in Sydney, Australia. Theconference theme is Distance, Diversity, Dislocation: FamiliesFacing Globalization.

The ICCFR conference follows the AFCC Annual Conference(June 5-8), and the AFCC post-conference trip to New Zealand andAustralia and the AFCC/Australia Family Court Association Sym-posium in Cairns on June 15-16.

For additional information about the ICCFR conference pleasecontact:

Gerlind RichardsICCFR General SecretaryLondon, EnglandP: +44-20-8663-0445F: +44-20-8313-3247Email: Richards@icmir.fsnet.co.ukWeb: www.relationships.com.au.

7AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

Post-conference New Zealand/Australia Trip

8 AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

AFCC chapters in Arizona, California,Florida, Massachusetts and New

Jersey have demonstrated their generosityby making contributions to the 2001-02AFCC Kids Count Club Annual Campaign.AFCC’s Kids Count Club would also like tosend a special thanks to major contributorsWilliam L. Carpenter, the Suzie S. ThornFamily Foundation and AFCC Past Presi-dent Arline Rotman for their continuedsupport.

AFCC would like to thank all of those whohave contributed to the success of thisyear’s annual campaign.

Diamond ($1,000-$4999)William CarpenterHon. Arline S. Rotman (ret.)Suzie S. Thorn Family Foundation

Platinum ($500-$999)AFCC Arizona ChapterAFCC California ChapterAFCC Florida ChapterAFCC Massachusetts Chapter

Gold ($250-$499)Elayne GreenbergMary FerriterDenise McColleyArnold Shienvold

Silver ($100-$249)AFCC New Jersey ChapterRichard AltmanPhil BushardLinda CavalleroChristine CoatesHon. George CzutrinDoneldon DennisRobin DeutschLeslye HunterPhyllis KennyMichele MacFarlaneAnn MilneFred Mitchell

Susan RajaIda RotmanPeter SalemRichard and Greta SalemNancy SatenbergAndrew SchepardLeslie Abbott SmithRobert SmithPhilip StahlHon Hugh StarnesHon. Betty Vitousek (ret.)

Bronze ($50-$99)Lewis BonneyAza ButlerDavid FinkDan F. FoleyCynthia GarwoodJoan HollettElizabeth JohnsonHon. Larry KaplanNorberto KatzPamela KrellJudy MeehNed PriceThea ReinhartWilliam RosaJan ShawRobert TompkinsAnita Trubitt

ContributorsJoan AndersonVictoria CoadEllen Craine-RostkerDeborah DatzGeorge FerrickJohn HuntLisa JohnsonAnita LampelEileen McCartenJoan PavlikLinda RioSusan SpeightBarbara Suskind

Kids Count Club Update

AFCC Chapters Contribute to Kids Count Club

AFCC New YorkConference: Take Two

AFCC’s Northeast Regional Confer-ence, rescheduled due to the tragic

events of September 11, 2001, was held onMarch 18, 2002. More than 300 participantsturned out for the Symposium on High Con-flict Families and the Courts, at the NewYorker Hotel in Manhattan.

The Symposium Opening Session was aroundtable discussion on Overnights and theBest Interest of Infants and Young Children,one of the hottest debates in the field today.Participants included Dr. Albert Solnit, co-author of the classic book, In the BestInterests of the Child; Sonja Goldstein, J.D.;Toby Klienman, J.D.; Robin Deutsch, Ph.D.and moderator Robert Z. Dobrish, J.D.

A blue ribbon faculty explored the role ofthe judiciary in the development of effectivecourt-related services for families in theJudicial Leadership Institute, sponsored bythe New York Office of Court Administration.The full-day institute was designed for judi-cial officers who have an interest in newtrends in the structure of the courts, casemanagement techniques and the growingrole of judges in developing and imple-menting court-annexed and communitybased programs.

Conference workshops included:

• Assessing and Addressing Allegations ofSexual Abuse

• Considerations for Implementing a Col-laborative Family Law Practice

• Working with Parents in High ConflictFamilies: The Impact on the Professional

• The Alienated Child Within an AlienatingFamily System

• Domestic Violence, High Conflict Familiesand the Courts

• Conducting Effective Cross-Examinationand Expert Testimony

AFCC thanks all of the participants, pre-senters and others who enabled therescheduled conference to become a real-ity. Special thanks to AFCC members andNew York Conference co-chairs AndrewSchepard and Elayne Greenberg for theirextraordinary efforts and hard work. AFCCalso thanks Dean David Yellen and ViceDean Marshall Tracht of Hofstra UniversitySchool of Law, Lance Elder and RobynSchneider of Education & AssistanceCorporation, Inc. and Hon. Jacqueline W.Silbermann and Joyce Funda of the NewYork Office of Court Administration. With-out the support of these co-sponsoringorganizations the conference could nothave been rescheduled.

One of the challenges many familylawyers face is dealing with highly emo-

tional clients. Lawyers frequently resist thenotion of managing the emotionality of theirclients with responses such as “I can’t be atherapist to my clients.” This is a very rea-sonable objection. Typically, lawyers do nothave the time nor the years of clinical train-ing to work with clients on emotional issues.

But sometimes a little knowledge actuallyis a good thing. Through training, readingand case consultation, lawyers can learnabout client baggage that will likely get in theway and learn how to minimize its effects.An understanding of the emotional issueswill then facilitate the legal work.

Information that can be helpful to lawyersfalls into a few categories. First is someknowledge about what’s normal in a clien-t’s reactions (versus what should be ofconcern.) Knowing a little about the emo-tional stages of divorce is a solid beginning.Understanding how clients’ feelings andreactions interact with the legal process isalso important. These interactions oftenoccur at important junctures such as theissuance of temporary orders. It is at thistime that the narcissistic injury of havingstrangers decide what to do with the chil-dren and property surfaces rage in theclient. This may also happen at an initialfour-party meeting when seeing the spouseleaves the client unable to participate.

Knowing how to structure the workingrelationship according to client type goes

a long way toward forestalling emotionaltrain wrecks. For instance, whether thelawyer sits behind the desk or in a moreopen seating arrangement in client meet-ings helps to define the relationship. (Hint:The more problematic a client seemslikely to be, the more structure you need).The way in which office staff interactswith the client can similarly be part of aclient management strategy. The wordingof questions can invite open-endedresponses or lead the client toward con-tained answers that keep the conversationgoal-directed. In these simple ways,lawyers can build client relationships thatare focused and less tempestuous.

Most divorces where there is conflictaround custody or assets will kick up at leastsome psychological complications. Thelawyer who is prepared will have at his or herdisposal a handful of strategies and tech-niques for keeping it contained. Forexample, there are a few guidelines forgiving advice or information that will increasethe client’s capacity to take in information.These include repeating the advice, over-clarifying, knowing when the client is in aposition to hear clearly and providing adviceand information in multiple forms.

Knowing how to set limits that keep theclient from calling at all hours, how to gentlyconfront untoward reactions, or what home-work assignments will help keep the clientfocused are examples of having enough

knowledge and techniques to help the clientand yourself stay on task while saving wearand tear on their psyche and yours.

Providing all of the information necessaryto integrate strategies such as those men-tioned above into practice is beyond thescope of this article. However there are sev-eral ways in which lawyers can accomplishthese objectives.

Using a consultant around the stuck clientor impasses is one method. The consultantcan offer the lawyer information about whythe difficulty exists, suggestions for resolv-ing it and help the lawyer to implement therecommendations. After a few consulta-tions, most lawyers become more proficientthemselves in applying this knowledge.Training can be very effective and includingthe entire office staff in training can producea “state-of-the-art” office, capable ofresponding effectively to a wide-range ofclient demands and needs.

Aside from the benefits that such toolsbring to lawyers, effectively addressingemotional issues contribute to making thelegal divorce process less traumatic. Whiletherapist intervention is helpful, it dealswith crises after the fact and is often too farremoved from the actual legal events. Iflegal professionals understand emotionalissues and can help clients negotiate theprocess with that in mind, there are signifi-cant gains to be had for clients, theirchildren and the entire system.

9AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

Client Management For Lawyers:Do You Have To Become Your Clients’ Therapist?by Sanford M. Portnoy, Ph.D., Author, The Family Lawyer’s Guide to Building Successful Client Relationships, Waban, MA

was moderated by Arizona AFCC Board Member Hon. Fred Dardisand included Dean Patricia White, Arizona State University LawSchool; Professor Zelda Harris, Director, Domestic Violence Clinic;James E. Rogers, School of Law at the University of Arizona; Dr.Brian Yee, custody evaluator, Maricopa County; Hon. Carey Hyatt,Maricopa County Family Court; and Ms. Linda Rose Levin, a parenteducation specialist in Phoenix.

It’s never too soon to mark your calendar for next year. The Ari-zona Chapter Conference will be held February 7-9, 2003 at thepopular Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa.

www.afcc-cal.orgCalifornia Chapter Debuts Website

AFCC’s California Chapter is up and running with a terrific newwebsite. AFCC-CAL would like to invite all AFCC members

to read the current issue of the California chapter newsletter atwww.afcc-cal.org. The current issue features articles on specialmastering, the evolution of the changed circumstances doctrine andmove-away cases. The AFCC-CAL website will provide news ofupcoming AFCC-CAL events and activities. You can also link to

the California Chapter web site from the chapter page of AFCC’sweb site at www.afccnet.org

Other AFCC Chapter websites are located at:

Arizona: www.azafcc.org

Florida: www.flaafcc.org

New Jersey: www.psychologyinfo.com/nj-afcc

Texas: www.texasafccnet.org

Chapter Interest in Missouriand Georgia

Chapter interest in AFCC continues to grow. Organizationalgroups have formed in Missouri and Georgia to develop

AFCC Chapters in those states. The Missouri Organizing Com-mittee for AFCC has developed an electronic newsletter and isco-sponsoring a one-day training on High Conflict Families and theCourts on April 25, 2002. The training will feature Christie Coates,J.D., former AFCC President.

The Committee is also sponsoring a regular St. Louis Area Lunchand Learn Series on topics including Parental Alienation and Chil-dren Who Refuse Visits (March 13, 2002), Mediation in Cases with

Continued on page 10

AFCC Chapter UpdateContinued from page 4

10 AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

AFCC Award Nominations

AFCC is seeking nominees for the following awards to be pre-sented at AFCC’s 39th Annual Conference on the Big Island

of Hawaii, June 5-8, 2002.

Distinguished Service Award: Presented in recognition of out-standing contribution to the field of family and divorce.

Stanley Cohen Research Award: Recognizing innovative and out-standing research in the area of family courts and family law.

Irwin Cantor Innovative Program Award: Presented to an inno-vative program serving the family court community.

If you would like to nominate someone for one of the aboveawards, send a fax or email of no more than two hundred wordsto the AFCC Administrative Office. Please specify the award forwhich you are submitting a nomination. Include your name,address and telephone number along with the same informationfor the nominee. Please include a brief statement as to why youbelieve the nominee to be a good candidate for the award.

The deadline for nomination is May 1, 2002. Please forward yournomination to:

AFCC Awards Nomination6515 Grand Teton Plaza, Suite 210Madison, WI 53719Email: afcc@afccnet.org

AFCC Board of DirectorsNominations

The AFCC Nominating Committee is seeking the names of indi-viduals to serve on the AFCC Board of Directors.

Recommended individuals must be AFCC members and have aninterest and knowledge of AFCC and its work.

If you or another member you know is interested in serving onthe AFCC Board of Directors, please forward name, contact infor-mation and resume to:

Hon. Arline Rotman (ret.)Chair, AFCC Nominating Committeec/o AFCC6515 Grand Teton Plaza, Suite 210Madison, WI 53719-1048Fax: (608) 664-3750Email: arliner@aol.com

AFCC Members to ConfirmAssociation Name

AFCC members will vote to confirm that the association’s offi-cial name shall be the Association of Family and Conciliation

Courts. The vote will take place at the AFCC Membership Meetingat the 39th Annual Conference, June 8, 2002 at the HiltonWaikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii.

11th Annual Family LawStudent Essay ContestSponsored by the Family Court Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal which is Co-Sponsoredby the Association of Family and Conciliation Courtsand Hofstra Law School

Family Court Review is an interdisciplinary family law journal,a forum for the exchange of ideas, programs, research, leg-

islation, case law and proposed reforms. Its international readershipconsists of about 2,600 members of the judiciary, the legal andmental health professions, mediators, custody evaluators, parenteducators and family court administrators. FCR publishes articlesconcerned with all aspects of family law and family law related dis-pute resolution. Articles on topics like divorce and separation, childcustody problems, child abuse and neglect, adoption, terminationof parental rights, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, genderissues in family law and courts, court-affiliated family education pro-grams, conciliation, mediation, forensic evaluation, arbitration andfamily court organization are welcome, as are articles aboutstrengthening and preservation of family life. International per-spectives on these topics are also encouraged.

Guidelines:• Open internationally to all students attending law schools *

• The subject matter may be any aspect of family law

• Essays are limited to 25 typewritten pages, double-spaced on 8-1/2" by 11" paper (including footnotes)

• Papers should comport with A Uniform System of Citation, Sev-enteenth Edition

• The winning essay will be awarded a $400 honorarium and will bepublished in an issue of Family Court Review during the 2003 year.

• Submission Deadline: August 15, 2002

For more information on entry requirements and entry procedure,contact:

Family Court ReviewHofstra University School of Law121 Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY 11549 USAAttn: 2002 Essay ContestTelephone: (516) 463-5926

Family.Court.Review@Hofstra.eduAttn: Essay Contest Editor

* Hofstra Law students are not eligible to enter.

E-Communication Is Here!

Do we have your email address? If not, please let us know howto reach you electronically. In the coming months more and

more will be shared with our membership by this method. Pleaseemail your email address to: afcc@afccnet.org.

Domestic Violence: Pros and Cons (May 15, 2002) and Collabo-rative Law (July 10, 2002).

For information about the activities of the Missouri OrganizingCommittee for AFCC, please contact Ellen Cowell at (314) 615-8094 or (314) 615-8752 or email Ellen_Cowell@stlouisco.com

AFCC members in Georgia are also gearing up to develop a statechapter. AFCC member Susan Boyan is spearheading the drive and

is actively recruiting those interested in joining her. For details aboutan upcoming Steering Committee Meeting, please call (404) 315-7474, extension 1. Those interested in becoming involved in aGeorgia Chapter of AFCC, please send an expression of interest to:

Susan Boyan, M.Ed., LMFT2801 Buford Highway, T70Atlanta, GA 30329Fax: (404) 982-0006Email: smboyan@yahoo.com

AFCC Chapter UpdateContinued from page 9

11AFCC NEWSLETTER • WINTER 2002

AFCC Member NewsConnie J. A. Beck, AFCC member from Tucson, AZ, is co-authorof the recently published book Family Mediation: Facts, Myths, andFuture Prospects. Dr. Beck and co-author Bruce D. Sales tracethe development of the field as well as current mediation practicesand take a look at the consequences for families and the legalsystem.

Hon. Thomas Bishop, former AFCC President from Connecticut,has been appointed to the Connecticut Court of Appeals. AFCCsends its congratulations on this outstanding achievement.

Isolina Ricci, AFCC member from Tiburon, California is now theDirector of The New Family Center, an organization she foundedin 1978. The main focus of the Center is on consulting with courts,communities and government on programs, policies and adminis-trative structures that serve or impact children and families. Youcan contact Dr. Ricci at The New Family Center, P. O. Box 711,Tiburon, CA 94920-0711. Her telephone number is 415-435-7648and her email address is IsolinaRicci@NewFamilyCenter.com.

Pauline H. Tesler, AFCC member from Mill Valley, CA, has writ-ten a new book entitled, Collaborative Law: Achieving EffectiveResolution in Divorce without Litigation. Ms. Tesler has been a fre-quent AFCC presenter on the topic of Collaborative Law. The bookis published by the American Bar Association Section of Family Lawand may be obtained by calling (800) 285-2221.

Richard A. Warshak, AFCC member from Dallas, Texas, recentlypublished Divorce Poison: Protecting the Parent-Child Bond froma Vindictive Ex. The book is published by Regen Books and it pro-vides advice for families when divorce poison is in danger ofdestroying relationships forever.

AFCC to Award ConferenceScholarships to Members

AFCC’s Awards and Scholarships Committee, in collaborationwith the AFCC Resource Development Committee, has

established a conference tuition scholarship program. Three schol-arships will be awarded to AFCC members for AFCC’s 39th AnnualConference, June 5-8, 2002, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Scholar-ships will include registration fees for the conference and for twohalf-day pre-conference institutes. Scholarship recipients areresponsible for funding their own travel, lodging, meals and all otherrelated expenses.

The Awards and Scholarships Committee will make the awardsbased on (1) the needs of the individual; (2) how the individual willuse the information gained to enhance services in their communityand (3) how the individual’s presence at the conference will add tothe diversity of the AFCC community.

Scholarship applications are available on the conference pageof the AFCC web site at www.afccnet.org. If you do not have Inter-net access please call AFCC at (608) 664-3750 and request thata copy be mailed or faxed.

AFCC6515 Grand Teton PlazaSuite 210Madison, WI 53719-1048

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMadison, WI

Permit No. 1547AFCC Massachusetts Chapter ConferenceMay 3, 2002Northeastern University Law SchoolBoston, MAContact: arliner@aol.com

AFCC 39th Annual ConferenceJune 5-8, 2002Hilton Waikoloa VillageThe Big Island of Hawaiiwww.afccnet.org

Conflict Resolution Network Canada and Family Mediation CanadaNational Conflict Resolution ConferenceJune 12-14, 2002Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canadawww.crnetwork.ca or www.fmc.ca

Association for Conflict ResolutionSecond Annual International ConferenceAugust 21-24, 2002Town and Country Resort and Convention CenterSan Diego, Californiawww.acresolution.org

AFCC Florida Chapter ConferenceOctober 25-26, 2002Tampa Airport MarriottTampa, FLwww.flafcc.org or email: fieldston@aol.com

Fifth International Symposium onChild Custody EvaluationsNovember 7-9, 2002Westward Look ResortTucson, AZwww.afccnet.org

Fifth International Congress on ParentEducation and Access ProgramsNovember 10-12, 2002Westward Look ResortTucson, AZwww.afccnet.org

AFCC 40th Annual ConferenceMay 28-31, 2003Westin OttawaOttawa, ON, Canadawww.afccnet.org

Upcoming Events