Training Custody Evaluators: Formalizing Training to Assert Minimal Competency

ABSTRACT

The reliance of Family Court judges on expert opinion in child custody evaluations demands that the methods and procedures used by evaluators are rigorous and scientifically based. Practice Guidelines such as the “Model Standards of Practice for Child Custody Evaluations” (AFCC, 1994) and “The Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings” (APA, 1994) assert that child custody evaluators need particular competencies and specialized knowledge. These competencies have not been clearly defined within family law psychology. This article proposes the development of formalized training guidelines for the establishment of minimal competency qualifications for child custody evaluators and practitioners in family law psychology. Such guidelines would improve the field, protect the public, and standardize the training across jurisdictions. The authors further recommend more frequent revisions of practice guidelines, as many regulatory boards rely heavily on guidelines in disciplinary hearings, yet guidelines that are out of date poorly guide practice and fail to serve the public.

KEYWORDS:

• Child custody evaluations
• training
• ethics
• family
• court