Custody (730) Evaluation – What is it and how do I prepare for it?

If there is a dispute about the physical (and sometimes legal) custody more often than not the judge will order a Custody Evaluation, a.k.a. 730 evaluation (as in Family Code Section 730). The reason for this is that judges don’t usually want to make decisions over custody without the input and report from a qualified psychologist who can examine the situation based on his or her expertise. During the trial, judges will usually give a lot of weight to the report of a custody evaluator, especially when the evaluator has a good and long standing relationship with the court system. Now that being said it is of vital importance to be very (no, let me actually emphasize this a little more: VERY) prepared for this evaluation appointment. This is an important point, since a private evaluation can cost in the vicinity of $10K and is your one-time shot at present yourself as a good parent. Here are a few tips on how to prepare:

Enroll in a great Parenting Class if you can. This will give you great insight in modern parenting concepts and might actually make you a better parent. What this will do for sure is tell the evaluator that you are approaching parenting with the necessary dedication.

Learn everything there is to know about child development (their stages) and maybe even a little bit of developmental psychology. Much of the information you will be getting is derived from Piaget’s original work, but there are also some newer classifications which are worth exploring.

Make your home child friendly. This is a very important step. After all, you want to offer your children a home they can call their own. This includes furnishing them a nice and functional room, and definitely childproofing for the appropriate age category. Custody evaluators will look at your home very critically and take pictures. Make sure that you present yourself as a clean and organized parent.

Prepare your moving papers for the evaluator. This step cannot be underestimated! Don’t let your attorney do this step. Make sure you put this together and let your attorney proof it. This is your chance to tell the evaluator why you think your proposal is in the best interest of the children (notice how I did NOT say “in your best interest”). You need to present everything as an advocate for your children. Be factual – in other words only present evidence that can be substantiated. Finally, do not “sling mud” – even when the other side does it. Custody evaluators generally don’t like that. They would rather see that both sides come to an agreement, but if this is not possible, be respectful towards the other parent. This shows the evaluator that you have accepted the other parent as a functional part of a “reorganized family”.

ATTACH A THOROUGH PARENTING PLAN !! This step is very important.   The parenting plan is the unequivocal “rule book” when it comes to custodial sharing of children. It needs to include everything, from visitation and holiday schedules to the toy distribution of the children. Judges and attorneys can’t think of every little parameter which may come up between the parents in the future, but you can, so it is important that this parenting plan becomes part of the judgment in the end. It is a living document, which will have to be updated at least on a yearly basis or as the circumstances demand. Hope this helps a little. Please feel free to post a comment or question if you feel like it.