Child Custody Laws: Their Psychiatric Implications
ELISSA P. BENEDEK M.D.1
1 Acting Director, Child Psychiatry Training Program, Children's Division, Ypsilanti State Hospital, 3501 Willis Rd., Ypsilanti, Mich. 48197
The author believes the time has come for psychiatrists and other behavioral scientists to reevaluate their roles in assisting the legal system in child custody cases. The State of Michigan recently proceeded in this direction by passing the Child Custody Act of 1970. Written with the help of behavioral scientists, the act cites ten parameters that give the courts flexibility in determining the "best interests of the child." The Friend of the Court system is currently helping to make the theory of the new law a practical realization in at least one Michigan jurisdiction.
