May 25, 2018
Are Custody Evaluations Worth It?
Q: What on earth is a custody evaluation?
A: The legal definition of a custody evaluation is a study and analysis of the needs and development of a child who is the subject of a custody and visitation action and of the abilities of the parties to care for the child and meet the child’s needs. (See Md. Rule 9-205.3) But what does that really mean? A custody evaluation is an assessment of both parents, performed by a social worker or psychologist, in order to present findings and recommendations to the court about what custody and visitation schedule the social worker or psychologist believes would be in the best interest of the child.
Not every custody or divorce proceeding requires a custody evaluation and in some jurisdictions in Maryland, they are hard to get. A Judge can order that a custody evaluation be completed at the request of a parent if the Judge believes that there are substantial concerns or issues that would require an expert’s testimony (the custody evaluator) for the Judge to understand the evidence presented or to determine a fact that is at issue. Custody evaluations are typically ordered when the Judge does not believe that witness testimony will be enough to provide the court with the context and relevance of evidence of both parties’ parenting skills and/or short-falls. A custody evaluator’s education, training and experience, as well as their intimate investigation of the parties and their child(ren), can provide the court with expertise, when necessary. For example, a custody evaluation may be helpful if one parent appears to be alienating the other parent from the child or if there are allegations of physical abuse or substance abuse.
In all custody cases, the court is required to determine what custody and visitation schedule would be in the best interest of the child. Since custody evaluations provide the court with information obtained from an in-depth investigation and analysis by a qualified, neutral professional, the court may rely upon the custody evaluation, in addition to other factors, in making its decision. The weight given to any custody evaluation is in the sole discretion of the Judge. However, parents should carefully consider whether to request a custody evaluation because it may cause the child additional stress and even the best custody evaluators could have a bias toward one parent or the other – they are professionals, but just like Judges, they are only human.
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Meet Michelle
I am always trying to inspire my clients to reach their divorce and/or custody goals by providing insightful and empowering legal advice. I thrive on helping clients understand how to successfully navigate the changes in their family dynamics to preserve family relationships and achieve the best outcome possible for the benefit of their children. When I’m not helping clients, I am running around with my husband and our two young and extremely active children and our Pug, Wali.
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