Synopsis

The first edition of Child Custody Made Simple won two book awards, including the Benjamin Franklin Award for Parenting and the Writer's Digest National Competition for Nonfiction. Now this valuable resource is even better! The latest edition of Child Custody Made Simple contains more than 150 pages of new material.

Library Journal

Watnik is a divorced parent inspired by his own custody fight to compile information on how the law says parenting shall be conducted when a marriage dissolves. He begins by explaining the laws and court structures that affect custody decisions. Watnik recommends creating parenting plans that allow former partners to avoid the expense, time, and agony of court battles, and he provides a checklist for drawing up such a plan. Typical living arrangements and schedules are discussed and augmented with graphs that show how time can be divided between parents. The chapters on going to court and working with lawyers explain procedures and prepare readers for situations in which support and custody cannot be settled amicably. A worthy addition to family law collections, even if Mimi Lyster's Child Custody, Building Agreements That Work (Nolo, 1995) is already on the shelf.Joan Pedzich, Harris, Beach & Wilcox, Rochester, N.Y.