Child Custody: Building Agreements That Work (2nd ed) [Paperback]

Mimi E. Lyster (Author)

Book Description

Series: 2nd ed | Publication Date: December 1996

Dealing with custody and visitation issues during separation or divorce can feel overwhelming and frustrating. Written by a professional mediator, Child Custody presents a step-by-step method for overcoming these obstacles and putting together a parenting agreeement that everyone--especially the children--can live with. Illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Divorce. Once the lawyers get into the act, the blood really starts to fly, and if there are children, things can get endlessly worse. This workbook from Nolo Press is a thorough approach to a do-your-own child custody agreement. If there's any chance you can work together (and there's information about negotiation and mediation here, too) this book will help you avoid a costly and adversarial situation. At the very worst, the information and worksheets will help you define the problem areas--the areas you want the lawyer sharks to attack first.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Nolo; 2nd edition (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873373456
• ISBN-13: 978-0873373456
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,699,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mimi Lyster has been active in dispute resolution, facilitated dialogue and decision-making, and strategic planning since 1981. In that time, she has had extensive experience as a mediator, trainer, facilitator, planner, and statewide policy analyst. Mimi has administered both court-connected and community-based civil ADR programs, served on the Board of Directors for the Mediation Society of San Francisco, the California Dispute Resolution Council, and the California State Bar Middle Income Legal Services Committee. She was also appointed by the Chief Justice to serve on the California Judicial Council's 2020 Court Futures Commission.

Ms. Lyster maintains a limited private practice in mediation, facilitated meetings, and strategic planning in the San Francisco bay area.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very comprehensive; lots of resources; user-friendly!, April 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Child Custody: Building Agreements That Work (2nd ed) (Paperback)

This is a self-help book for parents dealing with custody issues, which encompass residence, decisionmaking and child support. The book deals with more than 40 custody issues in a step-by-step fashion, utilizing worksheets and forms (for calculating child support, etc.) and is very comprehensive. State-to-state variations in pertinent law would require further research by the reader, as they are covered in only a sketchy way here. (However, the author provides guidance in doing the necessary research.) Nontraditional families (e.g., homosexual parents) and intercultural marriages are included and their situations given due respect and consideration. The material is presented in a readable and nontechnical style.The number and complexity of issues that must be dealt with in creating a parenting agreement would overwhelm most parents attempting to reach agreement on their own. The book's subtitle seems to imply that this is possible; however, the author does strongly recommend the assistance of a mediator, arbitrator, or lawyer in crafting a parenting agreement. The book is so user-friendly that some parents might be tempted to proceed without help from a third party, but it would take two very committed and patient people to navigate this process, using only this book. The best use of this guide would be to help parents who are working with a mediator to come to the process as prepared and as knowledgeable as possible, so they can participate intelligently in creating a parenting agreement, in spite of the painful and emotional situation they find themselves in. And, although not the target audience, mediators, lawyers, or other professionals assisting in parenting agreements can find sound advice and helpful suggestions here.