Jonathan W. Gould

Unlock the Science Behind Child Custody Evaluations Psychologists today play a crucial role in providing court assessments for child custody cases. Gone are the days of relying solely on clinical judgment-courts now demand a more scientific approach. But what does this entail? This comprehensive guide offers an evidence-informed framework for conducting child custody evaluations, covering such critical components as forensic interviewing, parent-child observation, document review, and accounting for one's own personal biases. The authors explore the strengths and limitations of psychological testing and assessment, explaining why the future of custody evaluations lies in a dimensional approach that emphasizes behaviors over diagnoses. Extensive research is synthesized on all these critical topics, as well as more specific issues such as alienation, parent-child contact problems, domestic violence, and parental relocation requests. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, this book is an indispensable resource for conducting scientifically sound, legally defensible evaluations.

Addressing key topics in child custody evaluation, this book provides essential knowledge for practitioners who want to meet the highest standards for both scientific validity and legal admissibility. The authors are leading experts who describe the latest data-based approaches to understanding and assessing relevant child, parent, and family factors. Going beyond the basics, the book gives in-depth attention to challenging, frequently encountered issues, such as how to evaluate allegations of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and child alienation. Also covered are the complexities of interviewing children effectively and working in the adversarial forensic context. A user-friendly appendix contains sample letters and statements of understanding, with permission to photocopy.

In Conducting Scientifically Crafted Child Custody Evaluations, author Jonathan W. Gould compiles the literature on child custody evaluation into a coherent, logically integrated format that can be applied directly to practice. This empirically based book represents state-of-the-art forensic techniques in the rapidly changing field of child custody evaluation. Gould challenges this dynamic field to further advance by enhancing its level of professionalism and strengthening its scientific basis. Currently, only 10% of divorcing couples with children pursue resolution of custody disputes. The author questions whether this minority comprises a unique population that requires separate, uniquely developed intervention protocols. He asks, "If the people who request forensic child custody evaluation comprise a unique population, how useful are our assessment tools when they have not been validated on this distinctive group?" Proposing new assessment models that are, in fact, based on studies with this population, Gould emphasizes that this is one of the fastest growing areas of professional involvement for practicing psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Divided into three parts, the book covers a conceptual framework, the evaluation process, and suggestions for the evaluator in preparing for court. This book targets psychologists, social workers, and students in the fields of family social work, family psychology, family counseling, forensic psychology, family studies, and family law.