Judges are not child psychiatrists. They have no particular expertise, other than their experience in hearing child custody cases, in determining what child custody and parenting time arrangements are in children’s best interests. Therefore, many judges appreciate input from expert witnesses, typically psychologists, as to the child custody and parenting time issues involved in the cases before them. Input from an expert can come in many forms and at widely varying costs. At the high end, a private psychologist may be appointed at a cost of up to $10,000 to conduct a full custody study, which may include extensive interviews of both parents, the children, and other individuals with personal knowledge, home visits, and psychological testing. The psychologist then prepares a written report as to his or her findings and recommendations as to a custody and parenting time arrangement that would serve the children’s best interest. The psychologist may also appear and testify in court. Fortunately, lower cost options are also now becoming available. A psychologist may be appointed to address a very limited, narrow issue, such as recommending where a child should attend school when that issue is in dispute. Experts are not infallible, and sometimes parents strongly disagree with experts’ recommendations. Often, however, once the expert renders an opinion, the parents are able to reach a settlement of their child custody-related issues which closely follows the expert’s recommendations.
It is almost always a more positive outcome for the parents and the child when the parents are able to agree rather than placing very important and personal decisions of child custody and related parenting issues before a judge who is generally not as well-equipped as the parents to make appropriate decisions for the children.
Copyright © 2010 by Scoresby Family Law – J. Kyle Scoresby, P.C. All rights reserved.