It is an unfortunate fact that when couples divorce, and children are involved, things can get ugly quickly. Accusations may be flung back and forth between the parties until no one actually can separate fact from fiction without the help of professionals. Psychologists and child advocacy lawyers have answers to some of the most common questions couples ask when they are faced with the psychological testing child custody hearings require.
Parents question why they are being evaluated. When parents are making accusations about one another's parenting skills, a judge will bring in a mental health professional to evaluate how well the individuals are functioning. The court will want to know whether the parents are capable of sharing responsibilities regarding the children, or if the children need to have one adult appointed the primary caregiver. Judges want to ensure the children are safe.
Parents wonder how much the tests influence the final custody arrangements. Psychologists explain that tests are only a portion of the whole evaluation. They also take into consideration other factors like observation, teachers, parent-child interaction, family interviews, and any other information from parties close to the family that might be pertinent.
If one of the parents gets an unfavorable evaluation, they want to know what comes next. The lawyers explain that they contact the psychologist to discuss the findings prior to the filing of the report. They want to know in advance whether the news is good or bad. When it's not favorable, the lawyer only has a couple of options. An new expert may be requested. The judge is likely to this down though, because courts do not like children being evaluated multiple times.
Parents want to know if there is room for compromise if neither parent is deemed especially problematic. Psychologists say that they sometimes work with families for months in order to really get to know the inner workings of the family. They study everything that is relevant. When an issue is outside their area of expertise, it is incumbent upon them to call upon another professional to come in and assess that situation.
Couples ask what happens when both sides get their own evaluators. Both the lawyers and psychologists say this is something that happens all the time. Most of the time the conclusions reached are pretty much the same. It is fairly rare for psychologists to be biased in favor of the parents who are paying them.
Sometimes parents ask if it is possible to compel children to spend time in the company of an alienated parent. This can be a difficult decision for a judge, and most don't like to force children to do something that is clearly painful for them. On the other hand, if one of their parents is causing a problem with the visitation schedule, the courts may step in and address the issue.
Divorce is hard, no matter how amicable it may be. It is always in everyone's best interest to work out custody arrangements privately. When the parents are at each other's throats, the courts will step in and take control. This should not be anybody's first choice.
Parents question why they are being evaluated. When parents are making accusations about one another's parenting skills, a judge will bring in a mental health professional to evaluate how well the individuals are functioning. The court will want to know whether the parents are capable of sharing responsibilities regarding the children, or if the children need to have one adult appointed the primary caregiver. Judges want to ensure the children are safe.
Parents wonder how much the tests influence the final custody arrangements. Psychologists explain that tests are only a portion of the whole evaluation. They also take into consideration other factors like observation, teachers, parent-child interaction, family interviews, and any other information from parties close to the family that might be pertinent.
If one of the parents gets an unfavorable evaluation, they want to know what comes next. The lawyers explain that they contact the psychologist to discuss the findings prior to the filing of the report. They want to know in advance whether the news is good or bad. When it's not favorable, the lawyer only has a couple of options. An new expert may be requested. The judge is likely to this down though, because courts do not like children being evaluated multiple times.
Parents want to know if there is room for compromise if neither parent is deemed especially problematic. Psychologists say that they sometimes work with families for months in order to really get to know the inner workings of the family. They study everything that is relevant. When an issue is outside their area of expertise, it is incumbent upon them to call upon another professional to come in and assess that situation.
Couples ask what happens when both sides get their own evaluators. Both the lawyers and psychologists say this is something that happens all the time. Most of the time the conclusions reached are pretty much the same. It is fairly rare for psychologists to be biased in favor of the parents who are paying them.
Sometimes parents ask if it is possible to compel children to spend time in the company of an alienated parent. This can be a difficult decision for a judge, and most don't like to force children to do something that is clearly painful for them. On the other hand, if one of their parents is causing a problem with the visitation schedule, the courts may step in and address the issue.
Divorce is hard, no matter how amicable it may be. It is always in everyone's best interest to work out custody arrangements privately. When the parents are at each other's throats, the courts will step in and take control. This should not be anybody's first choice.
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