Custody battles create enormous stress for parents who just want what’s best for their kids. You might wonder if bringing in a professional evaluator could strengthen your position or shed light on your situation.
These procedures, also known as parenting evaluations, bring mental health professionals into the picture to look at how your family works and make suggestions to the court. Their assessment might change important decisions about your child’s living arrangements and time with each parent.
When to consider a custody evaluation
You might benefit from a custody evaluation in several specific situations worth thinking about. For example:
- Complex family concerns: Evaluations help when your case involves worries about drug use, mental health struggles or children with special needs who need extra care.
- Documentation needs: Professional assessments provide solid evidence when your ex makes false claims about your parenting or when real concerns exist that are not obvious at first glance.
- Failed resolution attempts: Think about evaluation when talking things through has not worked or when arguments continue despite trying other solutions.
- High conflict situations: Evaluators offer outside perspectives when you cannot communicate with your co-parent or when you disagree strongly about raising your children.
Before asking for an evaluation, weigh these potential benefits against the money and time you’ll need to invest.
What happens during the evaluation process
The evaluation follows a clear path designed to gather complete information about your family. Most evaluations include:
- One-on-one talks with both parents
- Watching how you interact with your child
- Visits to your home to see the living space
- Looking at school papers, medical records and other important documents
- Sometimes psychological tests
- Conversations with teachers, doctors and others in your child’s life
After gathering all this information, the evaluator writes a report recommending specific arrangements for custody and time with each parent.
A custody evaluation can be resource heavy. However, it can provide crucial insights that help courts make decisions that truly support your child’s wellbeing. Your lawyer can help you decide if your situation would benefit from this kind of assessment based on what is happening in your case.