Conducting Child Custody Evaluations : A

This important contribution to understanding the whole process of conducting child custody evaluation, based on the author's extensive experience, examines in detail the complex questions and issues involved.The many topics addressed include: interviewing parents and children; testifying in court; writing custody evaluations; assessing the capacity to parent; assessing the attachment of children to their parents; planning custody and parental access; children's adjustment to divorce; domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse; mental illness; parental alienation; and on-going evaluation.

Preface

ix

Acknowledgments

xi

Introduction

1

(12)

How the Court Benefits From an Evaluation

4

(1)

How the Family Benefits From an Evaluation

4

(3)

When Evaluations Are Not Helpful or Could be Harmful

7

(1)

Who Is the Client/Consumer?

7

(2)

Evaluator Biases

9

(1)

Chapter Summaries

10

(3)

The Mental Health Expert's Many Possible Roles

13

(10)

Therapist

13

(2)

Psychologist Evaluator

15

(1)

Mediator

15

(1)

Consultant to Attorneys

16

(1)

Expert Witness

17

(1)

Special Master (Mediator/Arbitrator)

17

(1)

Custody Evaluator

18

(1)

Dual Relationships

19

(4)

Fundamental Questions in Most Custody Evaluations

23

(8)

The Best Interests of the Child

24

(2)

The Family's Bonds

26

(1)

Parenting Strengths and Weaknesses

27

(1)

The Coparental Relationship

28

(1)

Time-Sharing Recommendations

29

(2)

The Children and Their Needs: A Developmental Perspective

31

(14)

Infancy and Toddlerhood

32

(3)

The Preschool Years

35

(3)

The Grade School Years

38

(4)

Adolescence

42

(3)

Conducting the Evaluation, Part I: Observations and Techniques With Adults

45

(13)

The Initial Steps

46

(1)

The Initial Contract

47

(1)

The First Appointment

47

(3)

What to Believe?

50

(3)

Collateral Information

53

(1)

The Use of Psychological Tests and Their Limitations

54

(4)

Conducting the Evaluation, Part II: Observations and Techniques With Children

58

(17)

Significant Issues in the Assessment of Children

59

(2)

Directly Assessing the Parent-Child Bond

61

(2)

Siblings Together, or Not?

63

(1)

Children and Their Language

64

(1)

Gathering Information About the Child's Experiences

65

(4)

Using Play and Other Techniques in Understanding Children

69

(1)

Home Visits

70

(1)

The Preference of the Child

71

(2)

Cautions in Interviewing Children

73

(2)

Sharing the Results of the Evaluation: The Evaluation Report

75

(30)

Information That Must Be in Every Report

76

(4)

The Parents

80

(8)

The Children

88

(4)

Information From Collaterals

92

(1)

Summary

93

(4)

Recommendations

97

(8)

Complex Issues

105

(23)

Issues of Violence and Abuse

107

(5)

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

112

(3)

Mental Illness

115

(2)

Medical Problems

117

(1)

Sexual Preference

118

(2)

Angry, Outspoken Children

120

(2)

Parental Alienation Syndrome

122

(1)

Relocation

123

(2)

Benefits of Longitudinal Evaluation

125

(3)

Professional Issues

128

(27)

An Ethical Standard for the Evaluation Process

130

(1)

Working With Attorneys

131

(3)

Working With the Courts

134

(3)

Completing Reports: Who Has Access to Them?

137

(3)

Payment for Services

140

(2)

Confidentiality and the Holder of the Privilege

142

(1)

Testifying in Court

143

(6)

Ethics, Bias, and Professional Responsibility

149

(1)

Evaluator Immunity

150

(1)

Evaluator Burnout

151

(2)

Training and Competency of Evaluators

153

(1)

Conclusion

153

(2)

Glossary of Legal Terms

155

(97)

Appendixes

1. Sample Forms, Letters, and Court Orders

159

(28)

2. Sample Questions to Ask Parents

187

(4)

3. Sample Questions to Ask Children

191

(3)

4. Sample Reports

194

(24)

5. Psychological Tests (for Adults) and Games and Tests (for Children)

218

(4)

6. Review of Evaluation Ethical Standards and Guidelines

222

(30)

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Conducting Child Custody Evaluations : A Comprehensive Guide

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials