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Austin Comments 1 (October 10-11, 2008)

handle is hein.nccusl/nccpub01096 and id is 1 raw text is: William G. Austin, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist Northwest Colorado Psychological Services 405 Lincoln Ave., Ste. C P.O. Box 883009 Steamboat Springs, CO 80488 (970) 871-4527 (970) 871-6336 fax wgaustinphdL~yahoo.com Comments on Uniform Relocation of Children Act Uniform Law Commission I was asked to participate as an observer at the stakeholders meeting September 10-11, 2008 concerning the Uniform Relocation of Children Act (URCA). This invitation was issued by Jeff Atkinson, Esq., Reporter for the Drafting Committee on URCA. I subsequently was asked by the Association of Family and Conciliation Court (AFCC) to also represent AFCC as an observer at the URCA meeting. The AFCC request was made by Peter Salem, M.A. (Executive Director) and Robin Deutsch, Ph.D. (President of the Board of Directors). Observers were asked to submit comments on the Draft of the URCA. The comments described below represent the ideas and views of this writer and do not represent an official position or views of the AFCC. I will describe my background and history of involvement on the issue of relocation of children and child custody evaluation. My publications and professional presentations/workshops in the area of relocation and child custody are listed as an appendix. I am a licensed psychologist in CO and NC and currently conduct a private practice in Colorado. I provide national consultation services in the area of child custody litigation with a consortium of four other psychologists. I have numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in the area of child custody evaluation. These publications generally concern forensic methodology and forensic models to assist child custody evaluators. Substantive areas covered in these publications concern relocation, partner violence, use of collateral sources, investigation, and psychological testing. A recent chapter with Professor Daniel Shuman addressed the issue of ultimate issue testimony in child sexual abuse cases. My involvement in the relocation problem began when I realized there was very little guidance for child custody evaluators and the courts on the complex situation posed by relocation. I needed conceptual guidance in my own evaluations. There was a virtual absence of any publications in the field of child custody on the issue of relocation. It was clear these cases were fraught with dilemmas on how to resolve the dispute with little room for negotiation or mediation. The parent either moves with the child or s/he does not. Compromise is difficult. For this reason relocation disputes end up in court with greater frequency than those involving other complex parenting disputes, even when there is a custody evaluation. For the past ten years I have worked on developing a research-based actuarial forensic model to assist evaluators and the courts on relocation. This risk assessment model has summarized the research on residential mobility/relocation for children of divorce and identifies major risk and protective factors. The model is widely used by evaluators across the country and is well known to many judges. It is just a first step in a process of evaluation and decision making. It is a not a scientific technique that would be subject to an admissibility test Comments on Draft of Uniform Relocation of Children Act, National Conference of Commissioner's on Uniform State Laws, submitted by William G. Austin, Ph.D. for meeting on URCA, October 10- 11, 2008, Grapevine, TX

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