Customer Reviews

High Conflict People In Legal Disputes: Third Printing

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Very interesting and informative. Helps one to understand why some act like they do. Unfortunately, not enough people are aware of the information in this book so the pain that high drama conflict people inflict on others can be stopped. Of course that would mean that the judical (court) systems would have to do what they are suppose to do but that isn't going to happen. Too many in the court systems are high conflict people and like it that way. Still the book can be an eye opener to those not aware of narcissistic drama queens and the do or die ones who won't stop until they win no matter how costly that is to everyone including themselves. Good book worth reading.

Eddy's is a needed book, nicely written, logically consistent, timely, and providing a handy concept for understanding the querulous, often extended, byzantine, and frequently pointless, litigation that seems to characterize some people's lives. Eddy, experienced in mental health and law, argues that so called High Conflict People generate much unneeded litigation due to their propensity to blame or grandstand. For example, in family courts much litigation has nothing to do with the best interests of the children and is really generated by emotionally driven or black white thinking, blaming, and desire to redress a chronic sense of aggrievement. Particularly if good at persuasion, such individuals draw others into the fray as allies.

Hopefully, there will be increasing awareness of Eddy's observation that the courts can be thus abused, wasting resources and disserving many--including children of chronically litigating parents, companies or insurance companies sued frivolously, individuals attacked maliciously. Psychologists, for one, can, in their work, avoid legitimizing clients tendency to misuse courts to further narcissistic or antisocial agendas. After all, such individuals often seek psychological evaluations to impugn the other parent, or affirm a psychic hurt in a personal injury case. Meanwhile, some lawyers ratchet up conflict to generate billable hours, or may themselves show a predilection for high conflict and emotionality that makes excessive litigation likely.

A technical note: The author makes an interesting point that it is usually Cluster B types (in Axis II) who comprise High Conflict Individuals. Additionally, he posits that the subset of those Cluster B types who are "persuasive" tend to be particularly disruptive. So, he adds an exogenous component, outside of the DSM-III typology, to fully explain the type. However, thought might be given to whether the HCP might be explainable within the DSM-III typology alone, without drawing in exogenous concepts, perhaps by looking at the amalgams of different personality features that often coexist in a single client. Damon LaBarbera, Ph.D.