Child Custody Evaluations: Criteria and Clinical Implications

Abstract

The present study examined mental health practitioners' views of the relative importance of various criteria in determining child custody in a divorce. A second focus was the possibility of differences between professionals regularly conducting custody evaluations and their inexperienced colleagues. A broad survey of both psychologists and social workers showed considerable agreement between the two professions in emphasizing relationships among the members of the family and the richness of the social environment in the prospective custodial home. Experienced and inexperienced professionals agreed on this basic approach to custody decisions. The clinicians' opinions are discussed in the context of results from the empirical literature that have demonstrated a relationship between specific variables and children's postdivorce adjustment.

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