SCIENTIFICALLY CRAFTED CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS Part One: A Model for Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Development of Psycholegal Questions Guiding Court-Ordered Child Custody Evaluations

This article proposes a model for the interdisciplinary collaboration of judges, attorneys, and evaluators prior to the writing of a court order for child custody evaluation in the formulation of specific psycholegal questions that guide the examination. These questions accurately reflect the concerns of the court, the attorneys, and the parties to the dispute while framing the evaluation questions within the behavioral sciences, suitable for evaluation by a mental health professional. Such a model best suits the court by providing information on specific, legally relevant areas of parenting, child development, and/or mental health useful to the trier of fact.