As the number of high-conflict separation cases continues to rise, mental health counselors are increasingly called upon to assist courts with child custody evaluations. Counselors can provide family courts with invaluable services either as treating or as forensic experts. Because each of these roles is unique, however, it is imperative that counselors who provide services to family courts understand the differences. Ethical, legal, and malpractice risks also increase considerably for counselors who provide courts with expert testimony. The purpose of this paper is to (a) discuss the central differences between the roles of counselor and of child custody evaluator, and (b) describe best practices for conducting child custody evaluations.
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