|
Child Custody Evaluation
By Jean Mahserjian
A child custody evaluation can be ordered by a court if you are involved in a custody dispute with your spouse. The
custody evaluation can be required in an initial custody case
or in a subsequent case if one of the parents requests that the issue of custody be modified. If you are seeking primary custody of your child, you'll want to know the
guidelines for the child custody evaluation that you will have to undergo. To some extent, these guidelines vary from state to state, so you will need to discuss the child
custody evalutaion process with your attorney or your state
family court.
In general, a child custody evaluation involves a series of
meetings between the parents and children and a
professional who will assess the custody issue. Sometimes
that professional is a psychologist. Sometimes it is a
professional with an Masters and sometimes a Doctorate
degree. In some states the professional simply
investigates and reports the details of the investigation to
the court. In other states, the professional doing the child
custody evaluation actually gives the court a
recommendation as to how custody should be determined.
The manner in which a child custody evaluation is used by a
court can also vary from state to state. In some states, the
judges put a higher priority on the wishes of the children
and that issue is addressed in the custody evaluation. In
some of those states, the child's wishes are considered if
the child has attained a certain age. InIllinois, the child's
wishes is a key factor. In other states, it is only one factor
or not a factor at all. In Alabama, a chid's desire is not
considered as a reliable factor in determininig custody, so
the factors to be given priority over the child's wishes in the
child custody evaluation are more focused on the well being
an safety of the child.
A child custody evaluation can involve an investigation into
moral habits and issues such as alcohol or drug use, church
affiliation and family support system. Other issues that can
and often are reviewed in a custody evaluation include
factors that are unrelated to moral habits, but which are
more focused on the determining which parent can satisfy
the child's needs, include the ability to provide an
appropriate home, school support, and so forth.
A child custody evaluation can take months to conclude.
The investigation aspects can include a review of any
existing counseling records for the family, either or both
parents, or the children, any mental health records for any
of those parties, any criminal records, school records for the
children, and one or more interviews with each parent and
child and any other individual that the court deems
appropriate. For example, if a companion or significant
other is living with a parent, that person could have an
impact on the day to day lives of the children. The court
may want that person included in the child custody
evaluation. Some of the evaluation interviews are
conducted individually, and some are conducted with parent
and children together. That format is dictated by the
professional conducting the custody evaluation.
If you are involved in a custody dispute and you will be
involved in a child custody evaluation, speak with your
attorney about the process that you and your children will
be subjected to. Be prepared and open and provide all of
the information that is requested of you. Most of all, find
out what you are able to say to the children to prepare
them for the interviews that they will have to attend. About the Author
Attorney Jean Mahserjian is the author of numerous websites and books devoted to helping consumers through the process of separation and divorce. To download free excerpts from her family law books, visit: Divorce and Child Custody
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/9150.html
If you wish to add the above article to your website or newsletters then please include the "Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/9150.html" as shown above and make it hyperlinked. |
Some other articles by Jean Mahserjian | How to Tell Your Children About Divorce Whether your divorce is amicable or contentious, when and how to tell your children can be a difficult issue. Your children may already know that there are difficulties ...
Divorce and Alimony Formula
In divorce, a common question is, "what is the alimony formula". Well, there really is no set alimony formula for ...
Who Decides Interstate Custody Disputes We live in an increasingly more and more mobile society and a society with a divorce rate that exceeds 50%. As a ...
Divorce and Hidden Assets
Not surprisingly, assets are often hidden in a divorce situation. Why - well simply greed, or the feelings of betrayal or anger at the need to divide assets in the divorce, or the fear of not ...
Divorce and Health Insurance Benefits Divorce and Health Insurance Benefits
Divorce causes major issues with health insurance benefits. Many families have employer provided and/or paid for health insurance benefits that cover the entire family. It is not uncommon to ...
Don't Divorce Your Children
Divorce is certainly an emotional time for families. In fact, it ranks as one of the most stressful experiences in life. However, it is not ...
|
|
| |