Traumatic Divorce and Separation The Impact of Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse in Custody and Divorce

Traumatic Divorce and Separation integrates the conflicting mental health perspectives concerning trauma theory and the study of divorce, in what the author has termed "traumatic divorce" -- that is, divorce complicated by the high-risk factors of domestic violence, mental illness, and/or substance abuse. The text's interdisciplinary discussion examines issues of financial disparities for women following divorce, traumatic symptoms in children and adults, and the legal controversies about the admissibility of psychological theories related to abuse. The author also addresses: domestic violence as a gendered crime against women; the need for a trauma-informed judicial response; and the need for a systemic judicial response that incorporates an understanding of domestic violence and child maltreatment to provide services and protections. The book is an invaluable resource for professionals and academics in social work, forensic psychology, law, and related mental health fields, as well as academics interested in gender based discrimination in the courts.

Lisa Fischel Wolovick, JD, MSW, is an attorney who has represented battered women for almost thirty years. She helped to organize the first Criminal Court in New York State that specialized in domestic violence. Before becoming an attorney, she obtained her masters in social work and worked as a hospital social worker. She is currently teaching family violence and child abuse and neglect at the City University of New York, John Jay College's Graduate Program in Forensic Psychology, and has published and been a panelist in domestic violence, child custody, and trauma.