When divorces turn ugly, the children are often caught in the middle. Parents accuse each other of all kinds of things and even use the kids as pawns or bargaining chips. Things can get to the point that it takes a judge ordering a psychological testing child custody hearing to sort out fact from fiction. When this happens, parents have a lot of questions of the psychologists and the lawyers.
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 often question how important the psychological tests are in deciding custodial arrangements. Most psychologists will say that the tests are just a part of what they look at when making their evaluations. They also base their findings on observation, interviews, parent-child interaction, teachers, and others who might be able to shed light on the family dynamic.
What happens when a parent gets an unfavorable assessment is a common question. In order to prepare for court, the lawyers say they request a phone call prior to the psychologist filing the evaluation report. If the news is bad, the options are limited. The lawyer can request another expert, but most judges are reluctant to put children through multiple evaluations. A second evaluation may not change the outcome in any case.
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 may want to know if they can hire their own evaluators. Both the lawyers and the psychologists say they see this all the time. Normally, both psychologists come to the same basic conclusions. It is rare for an evaluator to be one sided or show a preference for the person who did the hiring.
Some parents want to know if children can be compelled to visit an alienated parent. The answer to this question depends on the circumstances. In most cases, judges don't like to try and force children to spend time with the alienated parent because it tends to make the situation worse. In a case where one parent is not cooperating with visitation, the court may decide to intervene before that situation worsens.
Divorce is never easy for the adults or the children involved. It is always a better idea for the parents to work custodial issues out privately. When they aren't able to do that, they risk losing control to the courts, the lawyers, and the psychologists.
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 often question how important the psychological tests are in deciding custodial arrangements. Most psychologists will say that the tests are just a part of what they look at when making their evaluations. They also base their findings on observation, interviews, parent-child interaction, teachers, and others who might be able to shed light on the family dynamic.
What happens when a parent gets an unfavorable assessment is a common question. In order to prepare for court, the lawyers say they request a phone call prior to the psychologist filing the evaluation report. If the news is bad, the options are limited. The lawyer can request another expert, but most judges are reluctant to put children through multiple evaluations. A second evaluation may not change the outcome in any case.
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 may want to know if they can hire their own evaluators. Both the lawyers and the psychologists say they see this all the time. Normally, both psychologists come to the same basic conclusions. It is rare for an evaluator to be one sided or show a preference for the person who did the hiring.
Some parents want to know if children can be compelled to visit an alienated parent. The answer to this question depends on the circumstances. In most cases, judges don't like to try and force children to spend time with the alienated parent because it tends to make the situation worse. In a case where one parent is not cooperating with visitation, the court may decide to intervene before that situation worsens.
Divorce is never easy for the adults or the children involved. It is always a better idea for the parents to work custodial issues out privately. When they aren't able to do that, they risk losing control to the courts, the lawyers, and the psychologists.
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