High Conflict People in Legal Disputes

People with high conflict personalities (HCPs) clog our courts as plaintiffs with inappropriate claims against their personal "targets of blame," and as defendants who have harmed others and need to be stopped.

Everybody knows someone with a High Conflict Personality.

• "How can he be so unreasonable?"
• "Why does she keep fighting? Can't she see how destructive she is?"
• "Can you believe they're going to court over ______?"

Some HCPs are more difficult than others, but they tend to share a similar preoccupation with blame that drives them into one dispute after another—and keeps everyone perplexed about how to deal with them. Using case examples and an analysis of the general litigation and negotiation behaviors of HCPs, this book helps make sense of the fears that drive people to file lawsuits and complaints. It provides insight for containing their behavior while managing and/or resolving their disputes. Characteristics of the five "high-conflict" personality disorders are explored:

• Borderline
• Narcissistic
• Histrionic
• Paranoid
• Antisocial
  

People with high conflict personalities (HCPs) clog our courts as plaintiffs with inappropriate claims against their personal "targets of blame," and as defendants who have harmed others and need to be stopped. Everybody knows someone with a High Conflict Personality. "How can he be so unreasonable?" "Why does she keep fighting? Can't she see how destructive she is?" "Can you believe they're going to court over ______?"

Some HCPs are more difficult than others, but they tend to share a similar preoccupation with blame that drives them into one dispute after another—and keeps everyone perplexed about how to deal with them. Using case examples and an analysis of the general litigation and negotiation behaviors of HCPs, this book helps make sense of the fears that drive people to file lawsuits and complaints. It provides insight for containing their behavior while managing and/or resolving their disputes.

Characteristics of the five "high-conflict" personality disorders are explored: Borderline Narcissistic Histrionic Paranoid Antisocial

Bill Eddy is a lawyer, therapist, mediator, and President of the High Conflict Institute. He developed the "High Conflict Personality" theory and is an international expert on the subject. He is a Certified Family Law Specialist and Senior Family Mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center. He has taught at the University of San Diego School of Law, is on the part-time faculty of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law and the National Judicial College, and lectures at Monash University in Australia.

William A. (“Bill”) Eddy is an attorney, therapist, mediator and President of the High Conflict Institute in San Diego, California. Mr. Eddy provides training to professionals worldwide on the subject of managing high-conflict personalities. He has provided seminars to attorneys, mediators, judges, mental health professionals, human resource professionals, employee assistance professionals, ombuds, hospital and university administrators, government officials, law enforcement, homeowners’ association managers, and others. He has presented in over thirty states, several provinces in Canada, as well as in France, Sweden, Austria, Australia, and New Zealand.

As an attorney he is a certified family law specialist in California where he has represented clients in family court for fifteen years and provided divorce mediation services for over twenty years. Prior to that, he provided psychotherapy for twelve years to children, adults, couples, and families in psychiatric hospital and outpatient clinics as a licensed clinical social worker. He taught Negotiation and Mediation at the University of San Diego School of Law for six years. He is currently the senior family mediator at the National Conflict Resolution Center in San Diego, California. He is a part-time faculty member at Pepperdine University School of Law, where he has taught the Psychology of Conflict for several years, and a part-time faculty member of the National Judicial College. For the past several years, he has also provided an online CEU course for mental health professionals titled “Working with High Conflict Personalities.” He has provided consultation and training on workplace issues to Intel, San Diego Navy Medical Center, Mt. Royal University, Social Security Administrative Law Judges, U.S. National Merit System Board Administrative Law Judges, the State Services Authority in Melbourne, Australia, and many other organizations.

He obtained his law degree in 1992 from the University of San Diego, a master of social work degree in 1981 from San Diego State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1970 from Case Western Reserve University. Bill Eddy’s websites are: www.HighConflictInstitute.com; www.BIFFresponse.com; www.NewWays4Families.com