017: Kayden’s Law, Domestic Violence & Challenges with the Wall Street Journal; Experiences & Insights with Dr. Matthew Sullivan

Don’t miss this episode of Children First Family Law in which Krista speaks with Dr. Matthew Sullivan, an internationally known researcher, speaker, psychologist, and author of two leading books on parental alienation and parent-child contact problems. His work emphasizes solution-driven approaches, providing practical encouragement to improve coparenting dynamics to help children flourish.   Dr. Sullivan is a pioneer in the field, having more than 30 years experience in family dispute resolution and clinical work in the family courts. He served as president of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts from 2019 to 2020, won its President’s Award in 2023, and was awarded the Meyer Elkin recognition for his powerful work published in the Family Court Review in 2024.

 

Dr. Sullivan, along with prior guest Dr. Michael Saini, together led the “Peace Talks” regarding Kayden’s Law at a major international conference, attempting to bring together what has become at times heated division among professionals as to how to best deal in family courts with important issues of domestic violence and parental alienation. He and Krista discuss at length the dynamics that have created such tension among professionals and his thoughts on how best to move forward productively for the best interests of children.

 

Dr. Sullivan shares his expertise on the variety of approaches courts use to determine best interests of children and discusses his perspective on ways to receive and consider the voices of children in these cases. He also shares why a mental health professional a best interests attorney, and a solutions-oriented judge can create problem-solving magic in cases with complex family dynamics. 

 

In this episode, you will learn about:

• Kayden’s Law and the effects the legislation could have
• Dr. Sullivan’s experience with the media’s tendency to polarize domestic violence issues as seen by a recent spat with the Wall Street Journal
• Advocacy for effective balance of domestic violence reform and its role in parent-child contact problems
• Child custody evaluations and the underlying reasons they can fall short
• Ways courts approach to determine best interests and consider the voice of children 
• The three players who can create a serious problem-solving team when it comes to supporting children during divorce
• The importance of getting buy-in from parents to prioritize children in divorce 
• The concern of mental health challenges experienced by kids in high-conflict divorce
• Thoughts on when therapy is effective and when it’s ineffective

  

Resources from this Episode

Overcoming the Co-Parenting Trap: Essential Parenting Skills When a Child Resists a Parent: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0692407995/ref=sw_img_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Overcoming the Alienation Crisis: 33 Coparenting Solutions: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1735099406/ref=ewc_pr_img_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Overcoming Barriers website: overcomingbarriers.org/about-us/mission

Dr. Matthew Sullivan’s website: sullydoc.com

www.childrenfirstfamilylaw.com

All states have different laws; be sure you are checking out your state laws specifically surrounding divorce. Krista is a licensed attorney in Colorado and Wyoming but is not providing through this podcast legal advice. Please be sure to seek independent legal counsel in your area for your specific situation. 

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