Family Law Issues
Mental health professionals are frequently called to testify in family law cases in a variety of capacities. For example, if a family is involved in a divorce, there may be a dispute over the custody of children. In such cases, mental health professionals are often retained to serve as expert witnesses. There are also occasions when the Court may retain a mental health professional to determine the “best interest” of the child in terms of custody or parental visitation, particularly in cases where there are allegations of physical or sexual abuse of children, domestic violence, or parental alienation. Trained mental health professionals can provide services during the divorce mediation, collaboration, negotiation, and litigation processes. A mental health professional can act as a neutral party to help facilitate negotiations or offer insight to parents in determining the needs and best interests of their children. In high-conflict divorce cases, a mental health professional can provide valuable insight regarding family dynamics, parental alienation, and child safety. Judges often give greater weight to the testimony of experts in the field; therefore attorneys frequently seek services from mental health professionals to determine if expert witness testimony is needed and/or to determine trial strategy.
Dr. Moore has worked with hundreds of children and families in cases with court involvement. She has testified in numerous cases in chancery, criminal, and family court for her role in cases with physical abuse, sexual abuse, post traumatic stress disorder, parental alienation, and child custody. She has authored and co-authored journal articles and book chapters on subjects such as expert witness/courtroom testimony, forensic ethics, play therapy, sexual abuse of children, and parental alienation. She is a frequent presenter nationally and internationally on abuse, trauma, play therapy, parental alienation, family law, and other issues pertinent to children and families.
Dr. Moore has worked extensively with court professionals and has served on numerous multidisciplinary teams. Contact Dr. Moore to determine how she can best serve you in your role in the case.
