What You Need To Know About A Custody Evaluator

By Sherry Gross


It is important that you understand what really entails custody evaluation in order to make the right decision. To begin with, a custody evaluator is a professional appointed by the court to resolve matters that touch on parenting. In most cases, evaluators are qualified psychologists who are well placed to solve family related issues about custody and well being of children.

The main objective is always to evaluate the family and recommend to judicial officers on who will make the final decisions on behalf the children. This also includes visitations and other important matters that have a direct impact on the children. You should understand that the decisions made are not unilateral, and will always differ from one family to the other.

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.

It is important to choose an evaluator based on the experience and past records. This is only if you want to solve outstanding issues amicably. Therefore, do not contract evaluators solely based on low charges as decisions might not be justifiable according to your situation. It is also highly recommended that you pick one based on education and past record in order to get the best solution that is not biased in any way.

The evaluation process is pretty simple and straight forward but requires total cooperation by both parents for it to be a success. Parents will have to visit the evaluator two or three times before the final decision is made. Additionally, the children will have to be interviewed in order to get their side of the story. This is one of things that make decisions very important before the law and judicial system set in place.

In the course of interviews, court documents will be reviewed too. You may also have to visit government recognized therapy centers for counseling to you and your partner as well as the children. Furthermore, there will be documented evidence on what transpires during this process from the time it commences to the end.

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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