AFCC eNEWS - June 2010 | AFCC Awards | Member News | Family Law in the News | Ahrons Video Interview

Vol. 5 No. 6 JUne 2010
Denver Annual Conference a Great Success AFCC’s 47th Annual Conference, June 2–5, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, attracted over 1,000 attendees from 19 countries. The conference theme, Traversing the Trail of Alienation: Rocky Relationships, Mountains of Emotion, Mile High Conflict, formed an energizing base for the conference. Listen to the plenaries online: Four exciting plenary sessions about alienation were presented at the conference and the audio recordings of these sessions are available free to members in the AFCC Member Center of the AFCC website. Read more about the conference... Reminder Regarding Continuing Education for the Denver Conference If you signed up to receive a certificate of attendance for the 47th Annual Conference, and you did not turn in a Verification of Attendance form while at the conference, please download, fill out and return this important form. This form must be completed in order for you to receive your certificate of attendance. Link to form... AFCC Board of Directors AFCC is pleased to welcome Mindy Mitnick of Edina, MN, to the Board of Directors beginning July 1, 2010. A special thanks to Hon. Emile R. Kruzick for his leadership and commitment to AFCC while serving as President. Philip M. Stahl, Queen Creek, AZ, has completed his term on the Board. AFCC thanks him for his outstanding service and contribution to the association. The new Executive Committee, effective July 1, 2010, consists of President Robert M. Smith, Windsor, CO, President Elect Linda B. Fieldstone, Miami, FL, Vice President Arnold T. Shienvold, Harrisburg, PA, Secretary Nancy Ver Steegh, St. Paul, MN, Treasurer Richard L. Altman, Napoleon, OH, and Past President Emile R. Kruzick, Brampton, ON. AFCC Annual Awards Presented AFCC members Constance Ahrons, Bernard Mayer, Debra Carter, Lorraine Martin and the M.A.R.C.H. Mediation program were honored for their accomplishments at the AFCC 47th Annual Conference Awards Luncheon on June 3, 2010. Read more... See photos from the Awards Luncheon on the AFCC Facebook page... FEATURED VIDEO Constance Ahrons: Old Dissolution Model Was Damaging Courtesy of Mediate.com Constance Ahrons, who was awarded the 2010 AFCC Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award, discusses the pre-joint-custody model for the relationship between ex-spouses. The cultural norm was to have no relationship, because that meant that the ex-spouses were hanging on. Watch the video... AFCC Chapter News The AFCC Board of Directors granted Chartered Chapter status to AFCC’s Minnesota and Ontario Chapters, and granted Provisional Chapter status to Washington State. Congratulations to all for all their hard work! New Student Membership Rate AFCC is now offering full-time students an electronic membership for an annual rate of only $25. As of July 1, 2010, full-time students may join online at www.afccnet.org. Student members receive electronic access to Family Court Review, the monthly AFCC eNEWS and other discounts and privileges of AFCC membership. AFCC Member News Justice Harvey Brownstone, AFCC member from Toronto, ON, is the first sitting family court judge to host his own television program, Family Matters, filmed in Victoria, BC. The show will combine educational segments, with expert guests as well as an interactive component designed to answer viewer’s questions using YouTube, Skype and email submissions. Joseph Harman, AFCC member from Emu Plains, NSW, Australia, has been appointed as Federal Magistrate in the Court of Australia the Parramatta Registry. Debra Lehrman, AFCC member from Fort Worth, TX, was appointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry as Justice to the Supreme Court of Texas. Judge Lehrman is a previous president of the AFCC Texas Chapter. Marsha Kline Pruett, AFCC member from Northampton, MA, has been awarded the 2010 Men-in-Families Best Research Article Award for an article she co-authored, “Promoting Fathers’ Engagement With Children: Preventive Interventions for Low-Income Families,” that appeared last year in Journal of Marriage and the Family. AFCC’s 12th Annual Silent Auction AFCC’s 12th Annual Silent Auction was held during AFCC’s 47th Annual Conference. This year’s silent auction was a great success and raised over $10,000. Proceeds from the auction are earmarked towards AFCC’s special projects and initiatives to support children and families struggling with separation and divorce. This year the funds raised will be used to support projects including AFCC’s Court-Involved Therapists Task Force and Child Custody Consultation Task Force. Thanks to all those who donated items for the auction and to all of the auction volunteers who helped with this smashing event: Mary Ferriter, Annette Burns, Dick Altman, Emile and Josie Kruzick, Chris DelFavero, Landon and Jaelyn Blue, Arnie Shienvold, Betsy Thomas, Tom Gould, David Medoff and Matt Sullivan. Click here for the list of contributors... A Graduate Student’s Reflections Robin Ballard is a fourth year graduate student at Indiana University–Bloomington in Clinical Science and a registered mediator. She is one of the work force behind the new AFCC Mentorship Project. Here she reflects on being a student in AFCC and why this program is important to her. Read more... FAMILY LAW IN THE NEWS Al and Tipper Gore Split Puts Focus on Late-stage Divorces By Sharon Jayson, courtesy of USA TODAY The split that nobody saw coming isn't such a shocker to those who deal every day with marriage, separation and divorce. Read more... Mom Finds Her Kidnapped Kids Via Facebook Courtesy of CNET.com A Southern California mother was recently able to locate her long-ago kidnapped children via Facebook, according to numerous media reports. Read more... Plan to Settle Child Custody Disputes by Arbitration By Carol Nader, courtesy of smh.com.au Separating couples in disputes over children will be able to have a person other than a judge decide who gets custody, in a radical change proposed by the federal Australian government to reduce the number of families that end up in court. Read more...	UPCOMING CONFERENCES AFCC Ninth Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations October 28–30, 2010 Hyatt Regency Cambridge Cambridge/Boston, MA AFCC 48th Annual Conference June 1–4, 2011 Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort Orlando, Florida AFCC Regional Training Conference October 27–29, 2011 Hyatt Regency Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana AFCC 49th Annual Conference June 6–9, 2012 Hyatt Regency Chicago Chicago, Illinois AFCC 50th Annual Conference May 29–June 1, 2013 J.W. Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live Los Angeles, California Ontario Chapter Annual Conference October 14–15, 2010 The Future of Family Law University of Toronto Residences Toronto, Canada More information... Texas Chapter Annual Conference October 15–16, 2010 Children Caught in the Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Perspective Houston, Texas More information... Arizona Chapter Annual Conference January 28–30, 2011 Sedona, Arizona More information... California Chapter Annual Conference February 11–13, 2011 The Future of Family Law The Mark Hopkins Hotel at Nob Hill San Francisco, California More information... JOIN AFCC Are you a member? Join or Renew... AFCC offers member benefits that promote excellence in practice. View member benefits... ABOUT AFCC eNEWS AFCC eNEWS is a monthly e-newsletter published by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). AFCC eNEWS provides professionals with time sensitive and up-to-date topics including practice tips, research innovations and international news. Readers are welcome to forward this e-newsletter to interested colleagues. AFCC eNEWS archive... Website Version: If you are having trouble viewing this email correctly, please view the website version by clicking here. Editor: Leslye Hunter editor@afccnet.org AFCC welcomes your comments, questions or feedback. Please email the editor by clicking here. EMAIL UPDATE Subscribe, Unsubscribe or Update Your Email Address AFCC will never share, distribute or publicize your email address. 6525 Grand Teton Plaza Madison, WI 53719 Phone: 608.664.3750 Fax: 608.664.3751 www.afccnet.org

AFCC eNEWS - May 2010 | AFCC Going Green in Denver | Top Mediation Screening Questions | Elements of Ideal Family Cour

Vol. 5 No. 5 MAY 2010
AFCC Going Green in Denver Accessing Handouts for the 47th Annual Conference in Denver AFCC's 47th Annual Conference, June 2–5, 2010, in Denver, Colorado, is going green! Conference session handouts will be provided to registrants on a CD or flash drive. In addition, the entire proceedings is available online. Conference registrants will receive a letter via email—or if no email was provided, via standard mail—containing the online access instructions. Access is already available and will remain so for two months after the conference. Read more... Things to Do in Denver The beginning of June is a wonderful time to be in Denver! Temperatures should be moderate: lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s to low 80s. Denver receives 300 days of sunshine a year. This makes for the perfect time to get outside! During the first weekend in June, the 39th Annual People’s Fair takes place, an outdoor celebration put on by the Capital Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) to celebrate the diverse Denver urban community and its residents. Read more... ASK THE EXPERTS Top Ten Mediation Screening Questions By Grace Hawkins, LCSW Prior to conducting mediation it is important to screen the case to determine whether or not mediation is appropriate and, if it is, what the best way to proceed might be, whether that is to bring the parties together, or to conduct shuttle mediation. The following questions are based upon an individual face-to-face screening conducted with each of the parties who have been court-ordered to attend mediation. The screening is conducted immediately prior to the start of mediation. Read more... AFCC Parenting Coordination Trainings in Chicago AFCC, in collaboration with Loyola University Chicago School of Law's Child and Family Law Center, is presenting two training programs, June 14-17, 2010. Parenting Coordination: Helping High Conflict Parents Resolve Disputes, with presenter Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D., will be held June 14–15, 2010. Advanced Issues in Parenting Coordination: Attachment, Personality Disorders, Alienation and Difficult Clients will be presented by Arnold T. Shienvold, Ph.D., on June 16–17, 2010. Both trainings will take place at the Philip H. Corboy Law Center in Chicago, Illinois. View training brochure... A Young Professional’s Reflections AFCC is beginning a new Mentorship Program to help foster new and young professionals in the field of family law. Although the program is new, the process is not. Many professionals have found informal mentors within AFCC and this is the first in a series of reflections about AFCC and that process written by Rebecca Stahl. Rebecca graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law in May 2008 and is licensed in Arizona and California. Read more... AFCC Ontario Chapter Looking for Elements of Ideal Family Court AFCC Ontario is exploring a policy paper that designs and describes the elements of an ideal Family Court for children and families involved in separation, divorce or child protection issues that is research-informed. The Chapter would like to hear from others about available services for children and families in their jurisdiction. The Chapter wants to learn from others' experiences and expertise, generate knowledge and share what is learned with partners in the community to inform policy. If you would like to participate in this effort, please contact afcc.ontario@gmail.com to get the link to the online survey. All responses will remain anonymous. FAMILY LAW IN THE NEWS Ontario’s AG Launches New Online Tool to Streamline Family Law By Mary Vallis, Courtesy of National Post Ontario's Attorney General announced a new online tool to streamline family and civil law forms designed to make family courts more affordable and less complicated. Read more... Gates Says He'll Reconsider Opposition to Military Child Custody Law by Leo Shane, Courtesy of Stars and Stripes For the last three years House lawmakers have included a provision in their draft of the annual defense authorization bill to guarantee overseas deployments won't be used against troops in child custody cases. And for the last three years Pentagon officials have blocked the idea, calling it an infringement on states rights. Read more... FEATURED VIDEO Challenges Within Family Mediation By Andrew Schepard, Courtesy of Mediate.com Andrew Schepard discusses challenges within family mediation: domestic violence, cultural differences and parties' expectations of the mediator, and a need to pre-screen violent parents. See video... FEATURED BLOG Just Court ADR Resolution Systems Institute's new blog, Just Court ADR, written by Jennifer Shack and Susan Yates, debuted in February 2010. It is focused on court ADR and fair court ADR systems that provide justice. Read the blog... INTERNATIONAL NEWS Drops from Down Under By Hon. Graham Mullane (ret.) News about child abductions, new adoption laws, mothers paying child support, bigamy, and murder in custody disputes from Australia. Read more... Call for Presenters for AFCC Chapter Conferences The Texas and California Chapters of AFCC are both seeking presenters for their annual conferences. The 2010 Tenth Annual Texas AFCC Statewide Conference, Children Caught in the Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, will be held October 15–16, 2010, in Houston. The deadline for proposal submission is May 28, 2010. The California Chapter's Annual Conference, Times They are a-Changing: Maximizing Resources, Options and Talents in a Changing System, is scheduled for February 11–13, 2011, in San Francisco. The deadline for proposals is June 1, 2010. For details and submission instructions, click the links below. Texas Chapter Call for Presenters... California Chapter Call for Presenters... Graduation Gift Giving The graduation gift that gives all year! Do you have a relative, research assistant or intern who is graduating this year? What better way to help them begin their professional career than by giving them a gift membership to AFCC. Start their pursuit of professional excellence and their support of the mission and values of AFCC. Gift memberships are only $130—that's a $20 savings! The recipient will receive all of the great member benefits including reduced rates on AFCC conferences and trainings, access to the AFCC Member Center, which includes the searchable Family Court Review archives, membership directory for networking and much more! Give gift membership...	UPCOMING CONFERENCES AFCC 47th Annual Conference Traversing the Trail of Alienation: Rocky Relationships, Mountains of Emotion, Mile High Conflict June 2–5, 2010 Sheraton Denver Downtown Denver, Colorado Parenting Coordination: Helping High Conflict Parents Resolve Disputes June 14–15, 2010 Joan B. Kelly, Ph.D. Loyola University Chicago Philip H. Corboy Law Center Chicago, Illinois More information... Advanced Issues in Parenting Coordination: Attachment, Personality Disorders, Alienation and Difficult Clients June 16–17, 2010 Arnold Shienvold, Ph.D. Loyola University Chicago Philip H. Corboy Law Center Chicago, Illinois More information... AFCC Ninth Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations October 28–30, 2010 Hyatt Regency Cambridge Cambridge/Boston, MA AFCC 48th Annual Conference June 1–4, 2011 Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort Orlando, Florida AFCC Regional Training Conference October 27–29, 2011 Hyatt Regency Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana AFCC 49th Annual Conference June 6–9, 2012 Hyatt Regency Chicago Chicago, Illinois AFCC 50th Annual Conference May 29–June 1, 2013 J.W. Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live Los Angeles, California Ontario Chapter Annual Conference October 14–15, 2010 The Future of Family Law University of Toronto Residences Toronto, Canada More information... Texas Chapter Annual Conference October 15–16, 2010 Children Caught in the Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Perspective Houston, Texas More information... Arizona Chapter Annual Conference January 28–30, 2011 Sedona, Arizona More information... California Chapter Annual Conference February 11–13, 2011 The Future of Family Law The Mark Hopkins Hotel at Nob Hill San Francisco, California More information... JOIN AFCC Are you a member? Join or Renew... AFCC offers member benefits that promote excellence in practice. View member benefits... ABOUT AFCC eNEWS AFCC eNEWS is a monthly e-newsletter published by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). AFCC eNEWS provides professionals with time sensitive and up-to-date topics including practice tips, research innovations and international news. Readers are welcome to forward this e-newsletter to interested colleagues. AFCC eNEWS archive... Website Version: If you are having trouble viewing this email correctly, please view the website version by clicking here. Editor: Leslye Hunter editor@afccnet.org AFCC welcomes your comments, questions or feedback. Please email the editor by clicking here. EMAIL UPDATE Subscribe, Unsubscribe or Update Your Email Address AFCC will never share, distribute or publicize your email address. 6525 Grand Teton Plaza Madison, WI 53719 Phone: 608.664.3750 Fax: 608.664.3751 www.afccnet.org