Uses and implications of the contextual approach to child custody decisions.

Child custody litigation signals parental conflicts that have serious implications for a child's long-term development. The authors describe a family systems approach to child custody decision making--the contextual approach, derived from contextual family theory. A case study analysis and pilot study illustrate the use of the approach with a small group of families who turn to the legal system to resolve custody or visitation disputes. The findings suggest the approach's usefulness in helping families create alternatives to continued disputation. The findings also reinforce the need for further research to test the preventive potential of the approach in reducing returns to court.