When you and your child’s other parent are unable to reach an agreement on custody and visitation, the matter will have to be hashed out in court. This can be a tricky matter to address, as the judge is often left with conflicting information while having to give one account more weight than the other to reach a determination. That’s why in many instances, the court considers ordering a child custody evaluation. And even if the court doesn’t order one on its own, you can ask for one.
What is a child custody evaluation?
A child custody evaluation is conducted by a neutral third-party, typically a mental health expert. This individual will take a holistic approach to assessing the circumstances to determine what sort of child custody arrangement is best for your child. Therefore, the evaluator will most likely observe parenting time, interview the parents and the child, speak with others who can attest to each parent’s bond and relationship with the child, review educational and medical records and even conduct certain mental health testing.
Once all of this is done, the evaluator will draft a final report that’s then submitted to the court. This report will contain a final recommendation regarding the custody and visitation plan that the evaluator finds to be in the child’s best interest. Since this report comes from a neutral third-party and is detailed in nature, it can carry a lot of weight with the judge. Thereby controlling the outcome of your child custody dispute.
How can you effectively plan for a child custody evaluation?
You’ll want to ready yourself for the evaluation process ahead of you. Here are some ways you can do that:
- Anticipate the evaluator’s questions so that you can provide appropriate answers during your interview.
- Be honest throughout the process, since misconstruing or lying about events can backfire and paint you as someone who is deceitful and untrustworthy.
- Keep a positive attitude regardless of what occurs during the evaluation process.
- Show flexibility and a willingness to accommodate.
- Have activities planned for your child during visits that’ll be observed by the evaluator.
- Demonstrate that you’re willing to facilitate a relationship between your child and the other parent.
- Refrain from talking poorly about the other parent.
- Show that you know how to engage in effective communication.
- Ensure that you’re informed about your child’s educational, extracurricular and medical histories.
- Gather all relevant documentation so that you can provide it or rely upon it when needed.
What if the child custody evaluation doesn’t go in your favor?
While it’s true that the court will give the evaluation a lot of weight, there are ways to attack its credibility if it’s contrary to your position. You might be able to damage the credibility of the evaluator, poke holes in the reliability of their methodologies or highlight a lack of information. If you need to take any of these approaches in your case, then you’ll want to discuss strategy with your attorney.
Effectively fight for the child custody outcome that’s in your child’s best interests
In most child custody cases, there are multiple issues to address. And if you mishandle any of them, then you could end up with an outcome that’s contrary to your wishes and that puts your child’s well-being at risk. Therefore, before jumping into your child custody dispute, you should carefully consider your legal options and the best way to effectuate each of them. Hopefully then you’ll be able to confidently navigate the road ahead of you while maximizing your chances of achieving the outcome that’s right for your child.
