Herring Imming attorneys, Taylor Fuller and Victoria Diffenderfer, recently attended the Annual Conference of the California Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, held in San Francisco. The AFCC is the premier interdisciplinary and international association of professionals dedicated to the resolution of family conflict. Its members include many of the leading practitioners, researchers, educators, and policymakers in the family court arena. The Conference’s theme was Maintaining Civility Through Conflict: Effectively Managing the Adversarial Process Without Acrimony.
Course topics delved into high-conflict custody cases. These are typically the most difficult, emotional, and therefore expensive matters seen by HI. Because of their complex inter-personal dynamics – and, too often, involved pathologies — they are often the most frustrating, too. Taylor and Victoria studied:
- Annual Updates for Family Court Judges, Attorneys, and Custody Professionals highlighted key published court opinions (providing legal precedents) and statutes for 2024. It focused on new social science studies concerning domestic violence — including its effects on children who are exposed to abuse and ways that substance abuse can intertwine with and accelerate DV.
- Family Law Attorneys and Mental Health Professionals: The Need for Interdisciplinary Reconciliation addressed overcoming the barriers to grater interdisciplinary work in mediated and non-mediated custody cases.
- Coping Abilities Children Need (And How to Ensure They Get Them) discussed the challenges and obstacles faced by courts, attorneys, parenting coordinators, and mental health professionals toward recognizing children in crisis and providing them better chances at healthy development.
- A Candid Discussion About Current Issues in Domestic Violence featured a diverse panel addressing the wide panorama of recognized DV. Since the 1980’s, DV has been an increasingly pervasive issue in family law. Its recognized scope now includes concepts of “coercive control” and sexual coercion. HI is not alone in perceiving the legislatively driven rise of DV issues in our family law cases.
- Complex Navigation Through Troubled Water – Matching Services to Needs Amid Family and Political Conflict addressed recent legislation and practical approaches concerning the impacts of trauma and related family dynamics on children and tools for crafting effective orders and interventions.
Taylor’s and Victoria’s participation exemplifies HI’s commitment to staying at the forefront of family law practice in the 805 and beyond. We applaud their active involvement, which benefits our firm, our clients, and our family law community.