Flying High: Litigating Addiction Issues in Family Law.

The focus is on how to proceed when substance use issues are present in a child custody case or child protection matter. Due to lack of understanding about addiction, courts often impose conditions and interventions that are contrary to best practices and addiction research. Uninformed court responses can destabilize parent-child relationships, negatively impact coparenting, and unwittingly harm family systems. Practical science-informed tips will also be provided for attorneys to use when navigating these challenging cases. A former judge and attorneys will discuss litigation and mediation tips.

Our sponsor, Soberlink will also address how to prevent tampering with their system.

Attend and Learn:

• What is the neuroscience behind drug use
• How to identify three (3) strategies to maintain a parent-child relationship in the context of parental substance use disorder
• How to set realistic expectations, effectively manage returns to substance use, and implement safeguards to protect children and parents
• How to handle addiction issues in litigation
• Preparing your client for a GAL investigation involving addiction issues.

Expert Panel

• Attorney Eric Schutzbank, Chair/Moderator, Berid & Schutzbank, LLC, N. Andover
• Dr. Stephanie Tabashneck, Psy.D., JD, Licensed Psychologist, Director, CLBB Neurolaw Library; Senior Fellow, Law and Applied Neuroscience Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Harvard Medical School; Petrie Flom-Center at Harvard Law School
• Hon. Randy Kaplan, ret., Ligris, Newton
• Attorney Rosanne P. Klovee, Stoneham
• Attorney Jennifer M. Lamanna, Charlestown
• Mike Fonesca, Soberlink

Accessibility: The CHMM building is not ADA compliant due to the configuration and physical constraints of this unique and historic building. Live Streaming offered.