The Roles Of A Custody Evaluator

By Sherry Gross


It is important for one to understand in detail about custody evaluation in order to make the best decisions for your children. A custody evaluator, who in most cases is appointed by the court, always plays a central role in the evaluation process. These are highly qualified psychologists who are well versed with family matters.

The main role of these professionals is to evaluate the prevailing circumstances and make recommendations to the court. They therefore advise on visitation programs for the children and things that are related to their welfare. Their decisions are based solely on the existing situation and which will always differ from one family to the other. Basically, they leave nothing to chance when it comes to the welfare of the kids.

Information is gathered using different methods before the evaluator can write down his or her recommendations to the judicial officers. In most cases, it is usually the last resort after spouses have failed to reach into agreements in previous settlements. However, if parents have agreed on their own on how to take care of children, no evaluation will be needed.

There are fundamental factors that you will need to look into when choosing an evaluator, but top of the list must be experience and past records. It may be good to look at the charges but this should not make you compromise on the quality of services you receive. The best evaluators in the market are those with higher qualifications from recognized institutions. Additionally, they are members of professional bodies that are recognized by the government.

It is important for you to attend all the sessions in order to make the whole process a success. In most cases, parents need to present themselves in more than two sessions as required by the evaluator. The children too will be interviewed so that their side of the story is heard. This is essential in balancing the decisions.

Vital court documents will have to be presented during the evaluation process and they may be reviewed if need be. In other cases, the parties involved (parents and children) may have to go through therapies in order to get treatment. The process must however be documented and presented to the courts for records and reference at the end of the day.

Always remember that this process is not confidential at all and matters discussed will be accessed by different parties involved. You should therefore be well prepared, open to evaluator, and avoid nervousness when meeting the individual. It is even better if you are in contact with your attorney all through so that everything runs smoothly. Also, talk to your children and make them understand why the process is important.

In a nut shell, the process is meant to evaluate and recommend about the best psychological interests of the child. This is always done with a focus on parenting attributes which in this case must benefit the child. The non-discriminatory evaluation process is however only recommended when parents have failed to agree on matters affecting their children.




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