Parenting Plan Evaluations: An Evidence-Informed Approach to Child Custody

Unlock the science behind child custody evaluations. Psychologists today play a crucial role in providing court assessments for child custody cases. But, gone are the days of relying solely on clinical judgment—courts now demand a more scientific approach. This guide offers an evidence-informed framework for conducting child custody evaluations. It reviews critical components such as forensic interviewing, parent-child observation, document review, and accounting for one’s own personal biases. The authors explore the strengths and limitations of psychological testing and assessment, and demonstrate how custody evaluations require a dimensional approach that emphasizes behaviors over diagnoses. Extensive research is synthesized on all these critical topics, as well as more specific issues such as alienation, parent-child contact problems, domestic violence, and parental relocation requests. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, this book is an indispensable resource for conducting scientifically sound, legally defensible evaluations.