Background
United Fathers of America was founded in 1975. We were determined to be tax exempt by the California Franchise Tax Board and contributions to the organization became deductible by donors as provided by California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 17214 through 17216.2 and 24357 through 24359, in 1976.
Our State Identification Number is 0800712 and our State Charity Registration Number is 46390. We were approved as a federal tax exempt Internal Revenue Code 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1979. Our Federal Identification Number is 95-3338538.
According to our Articles of Incorporation, the primary purpose for which this organization was formed was to undertake research on the economic, social and psychological effects of divorce and to inform and educate the general public on these and related matters. The primary purpose has evolved into the following operational statement:
The primary purpose of United Fathers is to enhance the quality of life for children, whose rights are often ignored during and after the breakdown of their parent’s relationship.
We fulfill our purpose through the dissemination of information and education to the public about the economic, social and psychological effects of divorce and related family court issues.
Although millions of lives are disrupted each year through occurrences of separation, divorce and paternity actions, United Fathers of America is specifically concerned with parent-child relationships.
Psychological research has shown the greatest stress a person can experience is the death of an immediate family member. Divorce is like a death, in fact, it is the death of a relationship. Divorce and the surrounding legal issues such as custody, child support, and visitation are all emotionally draining aspects of family court. Add to it the false allegations, financial costs and limited time with your children and there you have it; a perfect recipe for your children to be overlooked while the courts and adults, who are suppose to have their best interest in mind, fight.
To enhance the quality of life for children, United Fathers believes both parents must be involved. Exhaustive psychological studies have indicated that when both parents remain active in the lives of their children, child support collection is significantly increased and juvenile delinquency (sex, drugs and crime) are significantly decreased.
United Fathers fulfills our purpose by guiding dedicated parents through the perplexing and intimidating family court system and empowering parents with information and education on becoming pro-active, responsible and involved in their children’s lives.
United Fathers is an IRS 501(c)3 public benefit nonprofit organization.
Our State Identification Number is 0800712 and our State Charity Registration Number is 46390. We were approved as a federal tax exempt Internal Revenue Code 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1979. Our Federal Identification Number is 95-3338538.
According to our Articles of Incorporation, the primary purpose for which this organization was formed was to undertake research on the economic, social and psychological effects of divorce and to inform and educate the general public on these and related matters. The primary purpose has evolved into the following operational statement:
The primary purpose of United Fathers is to enhance the quality of life for children, whose rights are often ignored during and after the breakdown of their parent’s relationship.
We fulfill our purpose through the dissemination of information and education to the public about the economic, social and psychological effects of divorce and related family court issues.
Although millions of lives are disrupted each year through occurrences of separation, divorce and paternity actions, United Fathers of America is specifically concerned with parent-child relationships.
Psychological research has shown the greatest stress a person can experience is the death of an immediate family member. Divorce is like a death, in fact, it is the death of a relationship. Divorce and the surrounding legal issues such as custody, child support, and visitation are all emotionally draining aspects of family court. Add to it the false allegations, financial costs and limited time with your children and there you have it; a perfect recipe for your children to be overlooked while the courts and adults, who are suppose to have their best interest in mind, fight.
To enhance the quality of life for children, United Fathers believes both parents must be involved. Exhaustive psychological studies have indicated that when both parents remain active in the lives of their children, child support collection is significantly increased and juvenile delinquency (sex, drugs and crime) are significantly decreased.
United Fathers fulfills our purpose by guiding dedicated parents through the perplexing and intimidating family court system and empowering parents with information and education on becoming pro-active, responsible and involved in their children’s lives.
United Fathers is an IRS 501(c)3 public benefit nonprofit organization.
Meet The Staff
Marvin L. Chapman, PsyD, LMFT, CFC
Education
Doctor of Psychology, Forensic Specialty
Eisner Institute, Encino, CA
Master of Science in Counseling
California State University, Long Beach, CA
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
California State University, Long Beach, CA
Professional Designations
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, MFC27081
Certified Clinical Forensic Consultant, F16841
Professional Organizations
American Psychotherapy Association (APA)
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Children’s Rights Council (CRC)\
Collaborative Divorce Educational Institute (CDEI)
Collaborative Divorce Professionals of the Inland Empire (CDPIE)\
Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County (CDSOC)
Collaborative Professionals of California (CPCAL)
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP)
National Association of Forensic Counselors (NAFC)
Experience
Divorce Coach, Forensic Consultant, Life Transition Coach, Relationship Coach
Coaching across the life span
Divorce Consultant, Coach, Therapist
United Fathers of America, Orange, CA
Court Mediator and Counselor
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Mediation and Conciliation Court Services
Mediation of custodial disputes and preparation of agreements for Family Court
Personnel Officer
United States Army
Counselor for enlisted personnel
Professional Skills
Divorce Coach; Educator; Forensic Consultant; Individual & Family Psychotherapist; Mediator
Professional Activities
2010 TRAINER: Collaborative Divorce Instructor Training
Collaborative Divorce Team Trainings, LLC
2009 BOARD MEMBER: Collaborative Divorce Solutions
2007 AUTHORED: “Dedicated Fathers” (7 CD Audio Series and Workbook)
2001 GUEST LECTURER: Customer Service Training
District Attorney, Family Support Division, Orange County, CA
1998 -
2000 BOARD MEMBER and PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS CHAIRPERSON
California Association of Legal Document Assistants
1997 LECTURER: "Fatherhood in Today's World"
California State University Long Beach
1995 APPOINTED: Advisory Board, Modern Dad Magazine
1986 APPOINTED: California Senate Task Force on Family Equity
Special Training
A Day with Stu Webb, Intermediate Level Collaborative Training; Coalition for Collaborative Divorce
Advanced Collaborative Law Interdisciplinary Training; LA Collaborative Family Law Association
Child Custody Training for Court Appointed Custody Evaluators; Psycho-Legal Associates
Collaborative Divorce Training; International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Collaborative Divorce Team Training the Trainer; Collaborative Divorce Team Trainings, LLC
Intermediate Level Collaborative Training; Coalition for Collaborative Divorce
Men in Relationships; Relationship Training Institute
Step/Blended Family Workshop; California State University
Surviving and Thriving: Activating Strengths in African-American Families; The Guidance Center
Treating Complicated Couples: Successful Approaches to Challenging Cases; Psycho-Legal Associates
Treating Step families; Professional Psych Seminars
Military Information
U.S. Army
- Medical Evacuation Helicopter Pilot
- Honorable Discharge
Biography
Dr.Marvin L. Chapman has been divorce coaching for over 30 years, commencing when he co-founded United Fathers of America, a nonprofit organization emphasizing responsible fatherhood. He is currently the President of this multiple award-winning organization. Dr. Chapman learned that empowering individuals with information about family court and the affect it has on family members significantly reduced the anxiety, frustration, and confusion inherently present when entering the family court system.
In the early 1980’s Dr. Chapman was fortunate to be mentored by some of the innovative pioneers of court mandated mediation (1). He is a strong advocate for out-of-court options and non-adversarial alternatives, a product of his witnessing first-hand the abusiveness of the adversarial family court system on individuals and families.
In 1986, Dr. Chapman was appointed to the California Senate Task Force on Family Equity, a task force set up by the California legislature to make recommendations relating to family court. He was appointed to this task force to represent the issues and concerns of fathers confronting family court.
Through the following decades Dr. Chapman spread the word through public speaking, writing articles, serving on the Board of Directors for Modern Dad magazine, and as Board member and Professional Standards Chairperson with the California Association of Legal Document Assistants (2).
In 2001, the Orange County District Attorney, Family Support Division, selected Marvin to present “The Fathers Perspective” for their customer service training.
Dr Chapman's work at United Fathers was recognized in 2001, 2002, and 2004 by United Fathers receipt of Community Service awards from Disneyland Resort. The 2004 award was the prestigious Jack B. Lindquist Award, the highest recognition bestowed by Disneyland Resort. The 2004 award was presented the last year in which Disneyland Resort recognized nonprofit organizations through their Community Service award program.
Dr. Chapman has earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Science in Counseling, and a Doctorate of Psychology, with a forensic psychology specialty (3).
In 2004 he took training to become a Collaborative Divorce Coach and has become an active member of several Collaborative Divorce practice groups in Southern California.
In 2006 Dr. Chapman wrote and recorded the Dedicated Fathers Series.
In 2010, Dr. Chapman became a member CDEI. Dr. Chapman also became an approved Collaborative Divorce Team Trainer.
In 2011 Dr. Chapman became a presenter for Divorce Options educational program.
In 2014 and 2015 Dr. Chapman was on the CDSOC Board of Directors.
Dr. Chapman continues to write and lecture and can be contacted for appearances.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Dr. Chapman interned as a mediator under Hugh McIsaac and Ron Hulbert with Mediation and Conciliation Court Services, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
(2) A Legal Document Assistant (LDA) is an independent professional who prepares court documents under the direction of the client, not under the supervision of an attorney. The California Association of Legal Document Assistants (CALDA) is the professional organization for LDA’s and their website is calda.org.
(3) Forensic psychology is the intersection (overlapping) of psychology and law. Dr. Chapman’s forensic specialty is the intersection (overlapping) of mental and emotional issues (psychology) with restructuring and reorganizing family issues (family court).
__________________________________________________________
DISCLAIMER
The information provided on the website is not intended to serve as legal advice and is offered for educational purposes only. The information provided should not be used as a substitute for legal advice. The information provided is not intended to address every possible situation or issue that may be involved or that may arise. Please be aware that laws, regulations, and technical standards and issues change over time. As a result, it is important for the reader to verify and update any reference or information that is provided on this website.
Education
Doctor of Psychology, Forensic Specialty
Eisner Institute, Encino, CA
Master of Science in Counseling
California State University, Long Beach, CA
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
California State University, Long Beach, CA
Professional Designations
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, MFC27081
Certified Clinical Forensic Consultant, F16841
Professional Organizations
American Psychotherapy Association (APA)
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT)
Children’s Rights Council (CRC)\
Collaborative Divorce Educational Institute (CDEI)
Collaborative Divorce Professionals of the Inland Empire (CDPIE)\
Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County (CDSOC)
Collaborative Professionals of California (CPCAL)
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP)
National Association of Forensic Counselors (NAFC)
Experience
Divorce Coach, Forensic Consultant, Life Transition Coach, Relationship Coach
Coaching across the life span
Divorce Consultant, Coach, Therapist
United Fathers of America, Orange, CA
Court Mediator and Counselor
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, Mediation and Conciliation Court Services
Mediation of custodial disputes and preparation of agreements for Family Court
Personnel Officer
United States Army
Counselor for enlisted personnel
Professional Skills
Divorce Coach; Educator; Forensic Consultant; Individual & Family Psychotherapist; Mediator
Professional Activities
2010 TRAINER: Collaborative Divorce Instructor Training
Collaborative Divorce Team Trainings, LLC
2009 BOARD MEMBER: Collaborative Divorce Solutions
2007 AUTHORED: “Dedicated Fathers” (7 CD Audio Series and Workbook)
2001 GUEST LECTURER: Customer Service Training
District Attorney, Family Support Division, Orange County, CA
1998 -
2000 BOARD MEMBER and PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS CHAIRPERSON
California Association of Legal Document Assistants
1997 LECTURER: "Fatherhood in Today's World"
California State University Long Beach
1995 APPOINTED: Advisory Board, Modern Dad Magazine
1986 APPOINTED: California Senate Task Force on Family Equity
Special Training
A Day with Stu Webb, Intermediate Level Collaborative Training; Coalition for Collaborative Divorce
Advanced Collaborative Law Interdisciplinary Training; LA Collaborative Family Law Association
Child Custody Training for Court Appointed Custody Evaluators; Psycho-Legal Associates
Collaborative Divorce Training; International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Collaborative Divorce Team Training the Trainer; Collaborative Divorce Team Trainings, LLC
Intermediate Level Collaborative Training; Coalition for Collaborative Divorce
Men in Relationships; Relationship Training Institute
Step/Blended Family Workshop; California State University
Surviving and Thriving: Activating Strengths in African-American Families; The Guidance Center
Treating Complicated Couples: Successful Approaches to Challenging Cases; Psycho-Legal Associates
Treating Step families; Professional Psych Seminars
Military Information
U.S. Army
- Medical Evacuation Helicopter Pilot
- Honorable Discharge
Biography
Dr.Marvin L. Chapman has been divorce coaching for over 30 years, commencing when he co-founded United Fathers of America, a nonprofit organization emphasizing responsible fatherhood. He is currently the President of this multiple award-winning organization. Dr. Chapman learned that empowering individuals with information about family court and the affect it has on family members significantly reduced the anxiety, frustration, and confusion inherently present when entering the family court system.
In the early 1980’s Dr. Chapman was fortunate to be mentored by some of the innovative pioneers of court mandated mediation (1). He is a strong advocate for out-of-court options and non-adversarial alternatives, a product of his witnessing first-hand the abusiveness of the adversarial family court system on individuals and families.
In 1986, Dr. Chapman was appointed to the California Senate Task Force on Family Equity, a task force set up by the California legislature to make recommendations relating to family court. He was appointed to this task force to represent the issues and concerns of fathers confronting family court.
Through the following decades Dr. Chapman spread the word through public speaking, writing articles, serving on the Board of Directors for Modern Dad magazine, and as Board member and Professional Standards Chairperson with the California Association of Legal Document Assistants (2).
In 2001, the Orange County District Attorney, Family Support Division, selected Marvin to present “The Fathers Perspective” for their customer service training.
Dr Chapman's work at United Fathers was recognized in 2001, 2002, and 2004 by United Fathers receipt of Community Service awards from Disneyland Resort. The 2004 award was the prestigious Jack B. Lindquist Award, the highest recognition bestowed by Disneyland Resort. The 2004 award was presented the last year in which Disneyland Resort recognized nonprofit organizations through their Community Service award program.
Dr. Chapman has earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Science in Counseling, and a Doctorate of Psychology, with a forensic psychology specialty (3).
In 2004 he took training to become a Collaborative Divorce Coach and has become an active member of several Collaborative Divorce practice groups in Southern California.
In 2006 Dr. Chapman wrote and recorded the Dedicated Fathers Series.
In 2010, Dr. Chapman became a member CDEI. Dr. Chapman also became an approved Collaborative Divorce Team Trainer.
In 2011 Dr. Chapman became a presenter for Divorce Options educational program.
In 2014 and 2015 Dr. Chapman was on the CDSOC Board of Directors.
Dr. Chapman continues to write and lecture and can be contacted for appearances.
__________________________________________________________________________________
(1) Dr. Chapman interned as a mediator under Hugh McIsaac and Ron Hulbert with Mediation and Conciliation Court Services, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.
(2) A Legal Document Assistant (LDA) is an independent professional who prepares court documents under the direction of the client, not under the supervision of an attorney. The California Association of Legal Document Assistants (CALDA) is the professional organization for LDA’s and their website is calda.org.
(3) Forensic psychology is the intersection (overlapping) of psychology and law. Dr. Chapman’s forensic specialty is the intersection (overlapping) of mental and emotional issues (psychology) with restructuring and reorganizing family issues (family court).
__________________________________________________________
DISCLAIMER
The information provided on the website is not intended to serve as legal advice and is offered for educational purposes only. The information provided should not be used as a substitute for legal advice. The information provided is not intended to address every possible situation or issue that may be involved or that may arise. Please be aware that laws, regulations, and technical standards and issues change over time. As a result, it is important for the reader to verify and update any reference or information that is provided on this website.