daughter, son, and dad at the beach lonely upset boy father holding daughter on the beach lonely girl on swing

Custody Evaluation Services

This is a brief introduction into the purpose and goals of a custody evaluation and what to expect during the assessment process.



WHEN CUSTODY EVALUATIONS OCCUR:

  1. When the court needs input regarding the quality of care-taking provided by a parent or to rule out abuse, neglect, severe psychological problems or substance abuse. Sometimes the court will also order an evaluation to determine the presence and extent of a child's special needs, such as an Attention Deficit Disorder, Learning Disabilities or Developmental Disorders.

  2. When the parents request an evaluation to verify their concerns about each other's parenting skills or about their children.

WHAT THE EVALUATION ENTAILS:


You and the other parent will first complete a questionnaire describing yourself and your child, as well as your relationship with him/her. I will then help you identify your concerns about your child and assist you in specifying a custody plan that you believe would be in the best interest of your child.

I will also observe you and your child together to assess the quality of your communication, ability to share emotions and successfully deal with differences that arise. If indicated, I will administer questionnaires to assess your skills in caring for your child and to rule out significant emotional or interpersonal problems that could adversely affect your parenting skills.

I will also meet individually with your child (generally four years of age and over) to assess the quality of his/her relationship with you and with the other parent, their concerns about the situation and their preferences for spending time with both parents. I will interview any significant others with whom you or the other parent are currently involved in order to determine the impact of this relationship upon the child. Telephone contact will be made with selected people in the community, such as teachers, health care and child care providers, who may have information that may cast light on the important decisions being made. Finally, I will assess your and the other parent's ability to effectively communicate with one another and make joint decisions that prioritize the needs of your child.

All this data will be carefully weighed in recommending a parenting plan that will best foster your child's psychosocial development. I recognize that this is a critical decision and one that will have long lasting consequences on you and your child. Therefore, I take this assignment very seriously. I strive to be accurate, fair and independent and to maintain the objectivity that will enable me to recommend a plan that would match your strengths and limitations as parents with your child's current and future needs.