Massachusetts Association of Guardians ad Litem, Inc. Presents:
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
in Family Law
Keynote Speaker
Abbie Goldberg, Ph.D.
October 6, 2023
8:30am-4:30 pm
Full Conference Brochure
The Conference Center at Waltham Woods, Waltham, MA
(Lunch included)
The MAGAL conference will also be live streamed to the UMass Center at 1500 Main Street, Springfield, Room 003, same date, and time. (No lunch.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The challenges of divorce and custody disputes experienced by families who engage with the Probate & Family Court are often accentuated for LGBTQ+ families. Parenting, divorce, and co-parenting can be especially complex when a parent or child is gay or trans. Too often, misconceptions and biases affect the ways families engage with one another and the legal system.
This conference provides a research-based understanding of developmental pathways for gender identification and sexual orientation. Presenters will discuss clinical services for children and parents, legal realities that LGBTQ+ families and children face, and case-based experiences of professionals working with LGBTQ+ families and family members. The conference is aimed toward legal practioners, Guardians ad litem, mental health clinicians and other professionals who deal with LGBTQ+ families engaged with the family court system. The conference will offer a combination of lecture and interactive audience engagement.
Learning Objectives
· Participants will be better equipped to evaluate, advocate for and/or treat LGBTQ+ individuals and families.
· Participants will learn how parenting, divorce, and coparenting can be impacted when a parent or child identifies as being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
· Participants will learn about the legal realities that LGBTQ+ families and their children face.
· Participants will learn how to recognize misconceptions and biases that may operate when LGBTQ+ individuals and their families engage with the legal system and/or mental health systems.
CE Credits
- 7.0 Credits are being sought for licensed psychologists,
- 7.0 Credits are being sought for licensed independent clinical social workers,
- 7.0 CE Credits are being sought for MA for Category V - Parenting Coordinators.
- 7.0 CE credits are being sought for licensed mental health counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists.
- 7.0 Credits have been sought for CPCS/CAFL.
