Mothers on Trial: The Battle for Children and Custody

by Phyllis Chesler

Book Overview

Completely updated and revised for the twenty-first century, Mothers on Trial remains the bible for all women facing a custody battle, as well as the lawyers, psychologists, and others who support... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0931188466
• ISBN13: 9780931188466
• Release Date: March 1987
• Publisher: Seal Press (CA)
• Length: 558 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Must Read for every woman

I wish I read this book before I even married. It is a must-read for anyone woman, especially a custodially-challenged mother. It should be mandatory for all Family Court lawyers, judges, and personnel as well. I particularly like the academic nature of it; there are plenty of citations, etc., so hopefully people will start listening - particularly judges. The most fundamental idea to grasp - is that a challenging a mother's custody of her children is a form of abuse. Everything falls into place, once you can view the litigation process in terms of abuse.

Must read

Every mother going through a custody battle should read this - puts a whole lot of issues into perspective - you're not an unfit mother - it's not your fault - reading this tells you all about what custody battles are about

If the TRUTH is what you are after, then ...

... this is THE book AND THE ONLY ONE (and I have read them all) on the subject of who gets custody of your children and why. Dr. Chesler, unlike sooooo many other authors who claim expertise on THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE THERE IS, OUR KIDS' WELFARE, IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, knows, I mean reeeeally knows why women lose custody of the flesh of their own flesh. So. She tells it. And, O, what a mess she causes. And, ya' know, ordinary, general folks, why, they do NOOOOOT like messes. Especially where their MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE, their families and kids, is concerned. Dr. Chesler pulls out all the stops and lets it rip. And, ya' know, ordinary, general folks, why, they do NOOOOOT like being messed with -- especially when it is their families' uuuugly TRUTHS they want kept quiet and in hiding. Dr. Chesler doesn't. She doesn't keep quiet and she doesn't keep those secrets in hiding. Women in the civil (custody) courts around the entire US of A? Why, these "good 'nough" mothers might as well be in Jordan or Afghanistan or Congo for all the likelihood there is of their getting custody of their own natural flesh -- IF HE PRESSES FOR CUSTODY AND HAS THE LEAST BIT OF PILLAREDNESS ABOUT HIM. That is, if he, the father, is himself a doctor, a judge, a lawyer, a prominent, community businessman, teacher, cop, administrator, manager, MONEY, yada, yada, yada AND seeks custody or a modification of an original decree (custody or child support $), good ole' ma is dead. SHE WILL LOSE. PERIOD. Ask Dr. Laura? Hah! I say: KNOW Dr. Chesler. If you are a mother and in, or not even yet in and think you could not possibly ever be in, a custody struggle, you had better THINK AGAIN AND MEMORIZE this book cover to cover. NOW. The only good news from this book and Dr. Chesler's research: There are now entire chapters of support groups nationwide called exactly that, Mothers on Trial, who can help you. Try one out; moms meet SECRETLY because of fear of revenge and reprisal against them. After all, their flesh are still, most often, years and years away from legal adulthood; the mothers are soooo afraid -- and need to be -- of losing whatever contact they may still have with their kids -- IF those kids' fathers find out about their "association".

Must read for EVERY MOTHER - -even still married ones !

Every mother should read this eyeopening book about the patriarchal legal system. Mothers do not get custody if fathers (even poor fathers) want to ask for it. Good mothers lose custody, bad fathers get custody (and child support) and the court system is biased toward men and their money. Mothers are slammed if they work for not being a full time mom, and equally so if they ARE full time moms for being lazy. I read this book ten years ago and rarely a week goes by that I don't think about it or tell someone about it.