This handbook is designed to help women facing child custody disputes during or after divorce. To assist attorneys, citations to cases and statutes are included. Because this handbook is intended for distribution in the Washington, D.C. area, relevant laws and practices of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia are given. Custody arrangements (maternal with visitation rights, split, joint, and paternal) are described, the impact of custody disputes on children is considered, and steps in hiring a lawyer are given. The decision to separate, choices to make at the time of separation, and consequences of those choices are considered. Issues in negotiating a separation and settlement agreement are explored. Problems to be faced before a custody trial (temporary custody, preparing a case) and during a trial are discussed. The standards judges use in deciding custody are explained and reasons for mothers losing custody are described. The process of appealing a decision is reviewed and information is given on when custody can be changed. A chapter on special topics looks at the unique problems faced by battered women and by lesbian mothers, and examines the issues of mediation, child snatching, child sexual abuse, and the economics of divorce. Appendices contain lists of regional contacts for mothers without custody, organizations for lesbian mothers, and sources of further information. (NRB)