Publications
The Academy is particularly proud of its Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers which
is published annually in cooperation with the University of
Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Each issue of the Journal
concentrates on a single subject such as child custody or retirement
benefits. Each topic is explored in depth by the authors.
This unusual format results in a publication recognized throughout
the United States as a source for the most complete coverage of
specific topics in family law. The Journal contains both original
articles drafted by Academy Fellows and digests of articles on the same
subjects from other publications.
The Academy published The Bounds of Advocac y in 1991 and revised
it in 2000. This publication presents goals for fair play for laymen
and lawyers involved in family law cases. While these goals are
aspirational, they epitomize the conduct of Academy Fellows in their
individual practices. The Bounds of Advocacy is widely recognized as
the first effort by a specialized bar association to establish goals
for an entire area of practice. It has been cited nationally in law
school ethic courses and legal literature. At least two states have
adopted The Bounds as part of their state ethics codes.
A later publication, The Divorce Manual, A Client Handbook , was
written for clients contemplating divorce. The handbook provides
clients with a realistic overview of what to expect in the divorce
process.
The recent release from the Academy, its Model Parenting Plan is
designed to protect children whose parents separate or do not share the
same home. The Parenting Plan helps lawyers and parents structure a
personalized plan of parenting responsibilities to protect children
caught in the separating and divorcing process. The Plan consists of
printed copy and a Word document on CD.
The Academy developed a Model Relocation Act . With our society
more mobile, many more cases involve the relocation of custodial
parents and proceedings brought by or against the custodial parent to
permit or deny such relocation. The Model Act includes stringent
notification requirements, outlines the factors, which the court should
consider in making its decision, and sets forth alternative "burden of
proof" and presumption language for states to consider.
The Academy has launched a national public awareness campaign to
counter the profound effects of divorce on our nation's children. This
awareness effort features Public Service Announcements, a free "how-to"
booklet - Stepping Back from Anger: Protecting Your Children During
Divorce - and an instructional video The Voices of Children of Divorce
. All are aimed at parents in the throes of divorce and intended to
assist children.
The Academy has also published Making Marriages Last - A Guide to
Preventing Divorce . Patterned in the style of "Stepping Back from
Anger"; this 16-page booklet is provocative and easy to understand.
Learn from those whose experience with failed marriages has taught them
something of what it takes to keep a marriage intact and healthy.
Resources and suggested reading list included.
Its most recent publication, The Model Family Law Arbitration Act
is based upon the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act with the recommended
Rules and Forms based largely upon American Arbitration Association
commercial arbitration rules. Unlike the RUAA, the Model Act permits
judicial appeals of substantive issues of law and modification of child
custody, child support and spousal support to the extent those issues
are modifiable under state law. The Model Act also provides for de novo
judicial review of child custody and child support arbitration awards.
As a professional service, the Academy maintains and publishes a
list of its certified Fellows to assure the availability of qualified
expert matrimonial counsel throughout the United States . This roster
of Fellows, updated each year, details the experience and
qualifications of each Academy member. It also identifies those Fellows
who have been recertified by the Academy based on their participation
in continuing legal education over the preceding five years.
For more information about ordering these publications, see The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
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