ATTORNEYS' BELIEFS AND OPINIONS ABOUT CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS |
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| Authors: | James N. Bow Michael C. Gottlieb Hon. Dianna Gould‐Saltman |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Hawthorn Center and Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences;2. Dallas, Texas;3. Los Angeles Superior Court |
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| Abstract: | We surveyed a national sample of family law attorneys (N = 192) regarding their beliefs and opinions about child custody evaluations, particularly those performed by independent/private practitioners. Findings revealed participants' strongly preferred court‐ordered evaluations performed by doctoral‐level psychologists who assumed a neutral position. The participants expressed concern regarding procedures used by evaluators, the application of evaluation data to the Best Interests of the Child Standard, and certain report components. A clear majority supported evaluators making recommendations about custody and parenting time, but their satisfaction with these evaluations varied widely. Specific concerns and suggestions noted by the participants are highlighted; we conclude with recommendations. |
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| Keywords: | Child custody evaluations forensic evaluations attorneys mental health professionals custody parenting time |
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