Child custody issues, and the associated processes such as custody evaluations, can be extremely stressful ordeals for parents who might already be dealing with complicated family matters. We at Rubin & Levavi, P.C. have written up a brief summary of some of the elements that are part of custody evaluations in California in order to help individuals prepare, and to offer some peace of mind during a trying time in their lives.

Elements of a Custody Evaluation

Generally speaking, an evaluation is a process where a qualified evaluation professional spends time collecting and analyzing information about a family in order gain a deeper understanding of the family’s situation and relationships, which in turn helps him/her prepare a final report and offer his/her considerations.

Different evaluators use different methods, but they all often focus on gathering information on a fairl y consistent set of parameters. The methods used to gather this information often include:

• Interviews with each parent
• Interviews with each child
• Home visits to each parent’s residence
• Detailed psychological evaluations of all family members
• Interviews of friends, acquaintances, and related parties
• Detailed review of various documentation submitted by parents, and by counsel

The truth is, there’s no getting around the fact that your life, and the life of you loved ones, will be placed under extreme scrutiny. While our brief overview can help give you a better idea of what to expect, if you’re dealing with any family law or divorce matters in California, we recommend that you speak to a qualified family law attorney as soon as possible.

We at Rubin & Levavi, P.C. are here to help. Call our offices at (415) 564-2776 to learn more about how we can help you with your family law matters in CA.