Center for Excellence in Family Court Practice

   Resource Center  /   Center for Excellence in Family Court Practice
Table of Contents

Initiatives informing the work of practitioners

The AFCC Center for Excellence in Family Court Practice is home to initiatives undertaken by task forces and collaborative endeavors. These interdisciplinary initiatives include practice guidelines and model standards, consulting and inter-organizational collaborations that address research, practice and policy related to family courts, family law and dispute resolution.

CEFCP initiatives focus on the challenges and controversies that family court practitioners and policymakers must address, providing the latest research, ideas and practices from the leading professionals in the field.

AFCC and American Bar Association (ABA) Family Law Section Task Force to Revise the Model Standards of Practice for Family and Divorce Mediation

The Model Standards for Family and Divorce Mediation were revised by an interdisciplinary Task Force of AFCC, the ABA Family Law Section, the ABA Dispute Resolution Section, ACR, and APFM, updating the 2000 Model Standards to address technology, domestic abuse, and mediator training. More Information

Task Force for the Revision of the Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation

AFCC's multidisciplinary task force (appointed 2019) revised the 2006 Model Standards into these Guidelines through surveys, subcommittees, conference forums, and public comment, renaming "custody evaluations" to "parenting plan evaluations" and finalizing in May 2022. More Information

AFCC and NCJFCJ Joint Statement on Parent-Child Contact Problems

The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges approved this joint statement to acknowledge risk to children of polarized perspectives and to emphasize the importance of a child-centered approach. More Information

Parenting Coordination Task Force (2017-2019)

The Guidelines for Parenting Coordination (“Guidelines”) are the product of the interdisciplinary AFCC Task Force on Parenting Coordination (“Task Force”). More Information

Access to Family Court Services Task Force

The AFCC Access to Family Court Services Task Force was appointed by AFCC President Dick Altman in 2014 to examine access to justice challenges in the family courts. More Information

Task Force on Guidelines for Examining Intimate Partner Violence

A Supplement to the AFCC Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation More Information

Task Force on the Use of Social Science Research in Family Law

In 2016, AFCC President Marsha Kline Pruett appointed the AFCC Task Force on Guidelines for the Use of Social Science Research in Family Law. More Information

Closing the Gap: Research, Practice, Policy and Shared Parenting

Closing the Gap: Research, Practice, Policy and Shared Parenting grew out of a longstanding debate about parenting time and decision making after separation and divorce. More Information

The Future of Court ADR: Mediation and Beyond

In collaboration with Marquette University Law School Dispute Resolution Program and Resolutions Systems Institute More Information

Domestic Violence and Family Court Project

In collaboration with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges More Information

Family Law Education Reform Project

In collaboration with Hofstra University Center for Children, Families and the Law More Information

Family Civil Intake Assessment Screen Project

A project with the Connecticut Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division More Information

Child Welfare Collaborative Decision Making Network

The Child Welfare Collaborative Decision Making Network consists of leaders in the field who convene annually at AFCC conferences to address emerging issues in child welfare dispute resolution. More Information

Unbundling Legal Services: Options for Clients, Courts and Counsel

In 2015, AFCC collaborated with the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) to provide resources related to unbundled legal services, or limited scope representation.  More Information

Task Force on Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy

In 2008 AFCC President Robin Deutsch appointed the AFCC Task Force on Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy.  The Guidelines have been formulated to assist members of AFCC and others who provide treatment to court-involved children and families. More Information

Task Force on Guidelines for Brief Focused Assessment

In 2007 AFCC President Hon. William Fee convened the AFCC Task Force on Brief Focused Assessment to study the issues of “limited assessment” models used in family courts. More Information

Task Force on Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluation

AFCC President Leslye Hunter appointed the Task Force on Model Standards for Child Custody Evaluation in 2004. The Task Force was charged with revising AFCC’s 1994 Model Standards. More Information

Parent Coordination Task Force (2003)

In 2003, AFCC President George Czutrin appointed a Task Force to develop Model Standards of Practice for Parenting Coordination following AFCC’s Task Force on Parenting Coordination that conducted research and published the 2003 Report on Parenting Coordination Implementation Issues.  More Information

Symposium on Standards of Practice for Family and Divorce Mediation

Convened by AFCC, the American Bar Association Family Law Section and the National Council of Dispute Resolution Organizations More Information

Child Custody Consultant Task Force

In 2009, AFCC President Emile Kruzick established the Interdisciplinary Child Custody Consultant Task Force, to study and define the role of the mental health professional engaged as a consultant (mental health consultant) by an attorney for a litigant in a child custody dispute. More Information

Court Services Task Force

The AFCC Court Services Task Force was appointed by AFCC President George Czutrin in 2003 to examine the challenges faced by contemporary court service agencies and to conduct a review of initiatives and best practices in service delivery. More Information

Educator's Guide Workgroup

In 2004, an AFCC workgroup was appointed to develop guidelines for educators on how to work with separating and divorcing parents. More Information

Table of Contents

About

AFCC is the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – the premier interdisciplinary international association of professionals dedicated to the resolution of family conflict. AFCC members include many of the leading practitioners, researchers, educators and policymakers in the family court arena. AFCC provides training and education, and does not license, certify, or regulate the practice of its members.

Quick Contact
Loading