South Carolina AAML

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 Advocacy in 1991. This publication presents standards of fair play for laymen and lawyers involved in family law cases. While the standards 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 family law bar association to establish standards 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 as to what to expect in the divorce process. The handbook has proven invaluable to attorneys who distribute it to new clients as part of their service.

Children And Divorce
In 1995, the Academy published a booklet entitled Representing Children, Standards for Attorneys and Guardian-ad-Litem in Custody or Visitation Proceedings. This publication delineates the appropriate procedures to be followed by guardians and attorneys for children in matrimonial actions where the best interests of their wards are in conflict with those of their parents. This fine line of attorney conduct has never been explored as comprehensively as in this Academy publication. It has served as a guide to guardians and attorneys for children throughout the nation.

The Academy developed a Model Relocation Act. As people become more mobile, there are many more cases involving 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 Academy also published The Childrens Bill Of Rights in 1998. All are aimed at parents in the throes of divorce and intended to defend children.

In an effort to preserve the family and to prevent divorces, the Academy has also published Making Marriages Last – A Guide to Preventing Divorce, as well as an hour-long DVD and workbook, Focus on Forever, which explores new research and strategies that can help couples create satisfying successful marriages.

Most recently the Academy published a Model For A Parenting Plan, which provides comprehensive guidance to the Bench and Bar in formulating appropriate parenting plans that address custody, visitation, and child support issues. The Academy also published a Parent's Guide for talking to children about separation and divorce, What Should We Tell The Children, an often asked question by parents in divorce.

In an effort to address divorce from a multi-disciplinary perspective, the Academy also published Child Custody Evaluation Standards, to aid professionals in understanding the necessary training, skill, and experience required in conducting custody evaluations. As Fellows are also called upon to represent children in custody and visitation contested hearings, the Academy published Representing Children, to assist judges and attorneys in assuring effective representation of children in cases involving their vital interests.

List Of Certified Fellows
As a professional service, the Academy maintains and publishes a list of its certified Fellows to assure the availability of qualified 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 re-certified by the Academy based on their participation in continuing legal education over the preceding five years.