Has Anyone Ever Been Through a Custody Evaluation?

Question by NolaDawn: Has anyone ever been through a custody evaluation?
I will be going through a custody evaluation (with a professional evaluator) and I am just wondering what goes on, what they look for, what to expect and any other infomation. I just want to be prepared and find out what the pros won’t tell me. Thanks so much eveyone.

Best answer:

Answer by cherry
When I went through mine, someone came to my house, walked around checked it out, sat at the table and talked to me for a while and then left….my kids were watching TV .

Answer by blevins2147
Separated Parenting Access & Resource Center
“Keeping Families Connected”

A Parenting Evaluation (PE), also called a Custody Evaluation, is a formal investigation that attempts to assess the level of each parent’s respective parenting skills, and to determine which parent may be best suited to care for a child or children. A PE is usually done at the request of one of the divorcing parties, but may also be court-ordered. It involves personal interviews with the parents by trained evaluators, psychological testing of the parents and most importantly, it allows for “collateral contacts” to be interviewed. A “collateral contact” can be almost anyone; a daycare provider, family friends, employers, marriage counselors, etc etc.
http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/guide.php

THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLATERAL CONTACTS CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.

These are the people that know you and your spouse- they know what he or she’s like and what they’ve done. In a parenting evaluation, things like infidelity, financial manipulation, drug use, mental cruelty and physical abuse do matter! It’s a direct indicator of what kind of person your spouse is, and is relevant to a parenting evaluator!
To put it simply, a parenting evaluation allows you to bring your spouse’s behavior into court, something you might not be able to do otherwise, especially in a ‘no-fault’ state.

One last note- the overview given here is of a “typical” Parenting Evaluation, but like everything else, evaluation procedures may vary depending upon what organization is performing the actual work. As a rule of thumb, a proper evaluation should consist of at least the steps outlined below, and possibly more.

An Overview Of The Evaluation Process

A PE usually begins with each party filling out a Parenting History Survey form (PHS) or the ASPECT form, or both. The PHS is a long questionnaire, with typically about 100 questions. The PHS covers your marriage in some detail, beginning with when you met your spouse, major events during the marriage and additional information concerning the separation and divorce. After the PHS has been filled out and turned in by both parties, interviews are scheduled. The first contact typically consists of a 1 to 2 hour interview with a trained evaluator (usually a psychologist) and the taking of an MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) or other psychological assessment test(s). You will normally go back for another session called “Monitored Parent/Child Play”. You and your child (or children) will be asked to “play” in a monitored room and the session will be video-taped. Finally, you’ll almost certainly go back for at least one more interview where they may ask you to respond to allegations your spouse has made, and/or to discuss some of your responses to the MMPI test.
Additional testing procedures, such as drug tests, may be administered if concerns about drug use are raised. When all this is completed, the evaluator prepares his/her report and will then present it to both your attorney and your spouse’s attorney at a meeting where they’ll discuss the results.

There is a lot of info. here please follow up by going to this link:
http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/guide.php

The Parenting History Survey
The Importance Of Documentation
The Interview
Psychological Testing
The Parent/Child Play Session
Collateral Contacts
Follow-up Interviews
After The Evaluation
Other Important Points

Several important DO’s and DON’Ts:

DO present yourself as a fair and reasonable person.
DO speak calmly and evenly, and use “open” body language.
DO state that you believe you would make the better choices for your child’s welfare.
DO tell the evaluator that you’ll sign any waiver for information that they need.
DO state that you only desire fair access to your child.

DON’T “flame” or “slam” your spouse.
DON’T say that your spouse should be kept away from your child.
DON’T make false accusations against your spouse.
DON’T lose your cool, become angry or emotional.
DON’T argue or be sarcastic with the evaluator.

http://www.womansdivorce.com/custody-evaluation.html

Arrive on time at your custody evaluation interview.
Dress neatly and conservatively.
Be honest. The custody evaluator will likely check out your statements with collaterals and/or other sources.
If the custody evaluator chooses to use psychological testing, ABSOLUTELY answer honestly. The tests are designed to detect defensiveness and lies and unless you are an expert in psychometric testing, you are unlikely to fool them.
Be sincere. The custody evaluator can usually detect over embellishment and insincerity.
It’s all right to be nervous; most people are.
It’s all right to cry and/or show emotion; many people do.
Answer questions directly and to the point.
Make sure you pay attention to what the evaluator is asking.
Take your time when answering a question. If you do not understand what is being asked, feel free to ask the evaluator to explain what he/she means.
If the custody evaluator asks that you provide additional documentation, do so as promptly as possible or communicate any concerns about getting it.
If you provide the custody evaluator with names of collaterals, it is a good idea to inform them in advance that they may be contacted so that they can prepare to speak on your behalf.
If the custody evaluator is observing you with your child(ren), be attentive to their needs and focus on their interests and not yours.
Present yourself as being reasonable and placing the concerns of your child(ren) above all.

http://www.divorcewizards.com/top10730.html
http://www.pace411.com/

please follow through and use these links to research thoughly! Good Luck! Email me at [email protected] to let me know!

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