Child Custody

Custody evaluations are different from parenting evaluations in that the evaluator is asked to conduct a comparative study of parental strength and weaknesses in order to determine the best sharing-time arrangements between each parent and a particular child. The guiding principle in child custody evaluations is what constitutes “the child’s best interest.”

What is entailed in a child custody evaluation?

A typical child custody evaluation often includes general and specialized psychological testing, extensive clinical interviews of the parties, observations of adult-child interactions, the gathering of extensive collateral information from relevant third parties and even home visits. Collateral sources often contacted in these evaluations are significant others, relatives living in the home, therapists, school personnel, pediatricians and any professionals that are involved with the parents and the child. In addition, custody evaluators typically review pertinent Court documents (such as various petitions filed in Court and prior investigative reports.)

Custody evaluations are typically thought as being the most complex type of forensic evaluations. The nature of the referral questions to be determined by the Court can have different permutations. “Special issues” often addressed in custody evaluation can include the following:

  • Relocation issues – in these evaluations the evaluator is asked to assess whether a petition (typically filed by the custodial parent), for geographical relocation is in the child’s best interest.
  • Parental interference – these evaluations are designed to determine whether a particular parent (typically the custodial one) might undermine the relationship between the child and the other (non-custodial) parent.

How are custody evaluators selected?

Custody evaluators are typically appointed by the Court and function as impartial evaluators. The Court often chooses the custody evaluators based on the recommendations from attorneys involved in the case.

All Forensic Evaluations

Testimonials

“I have worked with Dr. Yohananoff for several years mostly as a retained consultant in custody and access matters.  Dr. Yohananoff has a unique ability to describe the parties’ emotional dynamic very quickly, enabling him to focus on the crux of the disputed issues.  His is extremely knowledgeable, and his analyses are thoughtful and nuanced.  I have found Dr. Yohananoff to be one of the top forensic psychologists in his field.”

- Dror Bikel, Attorney

“Dr. Yohananoff was appointed as a neutral forensic on a hotly contested custody dispute. His report was thorough and insightful. At trial, his testimony was clear and concise. I would highly recommend him as a forensic expert in contested custody matters.”

- Laurence Greenberg, Attorney

“I highly recommend Dr. Yohananoff as a custody evaluator. In a custody case in which he was hired to provide an independent forensic assessment, he did an excellent job interviewing the parties and producing a useful comprehensive report. He was also a very good expert witness at trial. It was clear that his work was helpful to the court. In her decision, the judge mentioned Dr. Yohananoff numerous times.”

- Joel Siegel, Attorney

“Dr. Yohananoff is an extremely skilled forensic evaluator with a wealth of experience, knowledge, and insight. He is deftly able to handle even the most challenging situations and approaches and conducts his work with great skill and interest. He has added great value to the specialty field of forensic evaluations.”

- Jeff Steigman, Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist

“I have used Dr. Yohananoff as a neutral forensic evaluator on numerous occasions in hotly contested custody matters. His evaluations were thorough, nuanced, insightful and well organized. I would highly recommend Dr. Yohananoff”

- Jennifer D. Hersh, Esq.

“I have been involved in numerous cases assigned to Dr. Yohananoff in Supreme and Family Court. These matters have involved issues of custody, visitation, relocation, parental alienation and modifications of existing orders. I have consistently found Dr. Yohananoff’s gathering of factual data to be extremely thorough and his judgment to contain unusually keen insight. His well-written reports are of superior quality, addressing complex issues regarding custody and parental access with creativity and sensitivity. When called upon, his oral testimony tends to support and amplify his written conclusions under the most rigorous cross-examination.”

- Robert Gruenspecht, Attorney
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