| THE CHILD CUSTODY CHECKLISTby | | | | Decide if your child is being bribed. |
| Dr. Barry Bricklin and Dr. Gail Elliot | | | | If yes, decide on a course of action to counteract |
| Dr. Bricklin and Dr. Elliot are nationally-known child | | | | these bribes. |
| custody experts. They have written many publications | | | | Make a list by subject of the important things you |
| offering help and guidance for mothers, fathers, and | | | | have not told your lawyer. You don't want any |
| grandparents involved in child custody issues. Their | | | | surprises in court. List arrests, bankruptcy, affairs, |
| publications can be found at | | | | fights--everything! |
| There are many items to think about and consider as | | | | Consider if there is a sickness or disability to be |
| you prepare to get involved, or re-involved, in any | | | | considered. |
| custody dispute. This list will help you better organize | | | | Make a list of any of the ways that you can help |
| these items. It has been prepared using all of the | | | | control legal costs. |
| training and experience of our 35 years in the field as | | | | Decide what to do if the other person wants to |
| Custody Evaluators, Expert Witnesses, Authors, and | | | | relocate. |
| Consultants in Custody Cases all over the United | | | | Decide if you may want to relocate, now or later. |
| States. | | | | Decide if you need a Custody Evaluation to help your |
| Dr. Barry Bricklin and Dr. Gail Elliot | | | | case. |
| (Their biographies are included following the | | | | Hire the right evaluator? Get recommendations from |
| Checklist) | | | | your lawyer, friends, etc. |
| THE CHILD CUSTODY CHECKLIST | | | | Decide if the other person is trying to "get your goat." |
| Hire the right lawyer, with the right experience, | | | | Consider how it would help the other person if you did |
| knowledge and training. We have found--during our 35 | | | | get angry. |
| years in the field—that hiring the correct lawyer is the | | | | “If you energetically follow the checklist above, dig |
| most important action that you can take. Without the | | | | out all of the necessary answers and write them |
| right lawyer nothing seems to work out as well—no | | | | down, and communicate that information to your |
| matter how much work you put into your case. | | | | lawyer, witnesses, etc., you will significantly help your |
| Get recommendations for the right lawyer. (From your | | | | case!” |
| family lawyer, friends, bar association, etc.) | | | | We wish you well, |
| Make a list of the other person's weaknesses. The | | | | Dr. Barry Bricklin and Dr. Gail Elliot |
| other person is usually your spouse or former spouse, | | | | Dr. Bricklin and Dr. Elliot are nationally-known child |
| but may be grandparents, foster parents, siblings, or | | | | custody experts. They have written many publications |
| even the State. | | | | offering help and guidance for mothers, fathers, and |
| Make a list of the other person's strengths. This is | | | | grandparents involved in child custody issues. Their |
| really important, it is too easy to concentrate on the | | | | publications can be found at |
| other person's weaknesses and what they do | | | | DR. BARRY BRICKLIN |
| wrong--here we want you to list what they do right. | | | | ~~Dr. Bricklin is a psychologist in private practice. He is |
| Make a list of your strengths. | | | | an Adjunct Associate Professor at Widener University |
| Make a list of your weaknesses. Be honest. Only you | | | | and has previously served on the faculty of Jefferson |
| and your lawyer will see the list. | | | | University and of Hahnneman University. He has |
| List the strengths in your present position from the | | | | served as a consultant in psychology to the Walter |
| view of the judge: job, economics, help from parents, | | | | Reed Army Hospital Research Center, to the United |
| etc. | | | | States Army, to the New York Academy of Medicine, |
| List the strengths of the other person in his or her | | | | and to the Columbia Broadcasting System. |
| present position. | | | | ~~He is past president of the Philadelphia Society for |
| Decide if you should be the first to initiate the suit. | | | | Personality Assessment and the Philadelphia Society |
| Decide if you should try to settle-the case. | | | | of Clinical Psychologists. He has authored books and |
| Write out a Draft Custody Plan. List everything that | | | | articles on prognosis in schizophrenia, marital |
| you want as if you will be able to get everything that | | | | compatibility, epilepsy, the psychology of affiliation, |
| you want—you won't get everything but making this | | | | predicting violence and aggression, diet techniques, |
| list is a good start. | | | | role-play techniques, hypnosis in surgery, the |
| Make a list of the negotiable points in your Draft | | | | intercultural use of the Rorschach test, and, of course, |
| Custody Plan: | | | | custody evaluations. |
| Decide if you should start negotiating with the other | | | | ~~Among the results of his cooperative ventures with |
| person. | | | | his wife Dr. Patricia M. Bricklin are numerous articles |
| Make a list of your bargaining chips. | | | | and three books. Two of their books have been best |
| Decide if you should work out a temporary custody | | | | sellers, Bright Child-Poor Grades: The Psychology of |
| plan with the other person. | | | | Underachievement, and Strong Family-Strong Child. |
| Find out what criteria your family court looks at when | | | | ~~Dr. Bricklin created the original scoring scheme for |
| awarding custody. | | | | the Hand Test, and co-authored, with Dr. Zygmunt A. |
| Find out if your judge has specific prejudices. (Blond | | | | Pietrowski, several articles on prognostic criteria for |
| hair, women or men, successful women, athletic looking | | | | persons suffering from schizophrenia. |
| men, etc.) | | | | ~~For over 25 years, Dr. Bricklin has developed |
| Find out if the other person is using alienating strategies. | | | | various data-based approaches to the decisions which |
| If the other person is using alienating strategies, put into | | | | must be made when parents divorce. |
| effect a plan to counteract these strategies. | | | | ~~Dr. Bricklin's book, The Custody Evaluation |
| Decide if the other person may make false allegations | | | | Handbook is published by Brunner/Mazel and is |
| in court. What would they be? | | | | currently in wide-spread use by mental health |
| Decide how to refute any false allegations. | | | | professionals in the United States and Canada. |
| Make a list of witnesses that you have to refute | | | | ~~Dr. Bricklin is presently Chair of the Executive |
| potential allegations. | | | | Operating Committee of the Professional Academy of |
| Write down, for each witness, how they should dress | | | | Custody Evaluators (PACE). |
| and act in court. | | | | DR. GAIL ELLIOT |
| Decide how you should act in court. | | | | ~~ Dr. Elliot is Head, Child Development and Family |
| Choose the clothes you will wear in court. | | | | Processes Research, Bricklin Associates, the Vice |
| Decide if this is the right time to start dating. | | | | Chair of the Professional Academy of Custody |
| Decide if this is the right time to move in with your new | | | | Evaluators and a psychologist in private practice. She |
| significant other. | | | | has served as a consultant to public and private |
| Make a list of the marital assets. | | | | schools and coordinated multidisciplinary treatment |
| Include in the list when each asset came into the | | | | plans. She was responsible for devising for Bricklin |
| marriage. | | | | Associates an information-processing oriented |
| Include how each asset came into the marriage. | | | | educational therapy technique and a comprehensive |
| Calculate how much insurance is in-force that would | | | | college entrance service for children with serious |
| go to you and your child. | | | | motivational problems and low self-esteem problems. |
| Calculate how much insurance you and your child | | | | ~~Dr. Elliot authored a chapter on post-divorce |
| actually need. | | | | research for The Custody Evaluation Handbook |
| Medical coverage? | | | | (Brunner/Mazel) and co-authored Parent Perception of |
| Write down the education plans for your child and | | | | Child Profile (PPCP), a widely used custody evaluation |
| yourself | | | | instrument. She was responsible for much of the |
| Make a list of your future potential earnings. | | | | research behind the Bricklin custody instruments, and is |
| Think about what could happen to increase or | | | | co-author with Dr. Bricklin of ACCESS (A |
| decrease your future earnings potential. | | | | Comprehensive Custody Evaluation Standard System) |
| Make a list of the other person's estimated future | | | | a start-to-finish procedure for conducting a |
| income. | | | | comprehensive custody evaluation. In late 1997 Dr. Elliot |
| Write down any special earnings potential of the other | | | | co-authored, with Dr. |
| person. | | | | |