Judicial Decision-Making in Family Law Proceedings

Judicial Family Law proceedings are peculiar; a large number of cases are never closed, until the children reach adulthood. We selected three variables to test whether they can explain the credibility of each party and agent in the proceedings: guiding principle that orients the court's decision, confirmation of maternal manipulation in the psycho-social report, and establishing credibility of the child's testimony. An incidental sample of 169 people was used. The three manipulated variables imply very different levels of credibility for each party to the proceedings. Finally, proposed modifications to court proceedings are suggested to ensure adequate protection of children.