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.

It is required by the law that one attends most, if not all, of these sessions. The information gathered is of importance to making the final decision before being sent back to the judiciary. All decisions made are likely to be the last resort for the young ones.

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.

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.

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.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire

blogger